Comparing President Trump's Approval Ratings to Other U.S. Presidents: A YouGov Survey Analysis
President Donald Trump's approval ratings have been closely monitored throughout his presidency, but how do Americans perceive him compared to other U.S. presidents? A recent YouGov survey asked 2,255 U.S. citizens to rate 20 different presidents on a scale from outstanding to poor. Trump received the highest percentage of negative ratings, with 55% of respondents rating him as poor or below average. This was followed by Joe Biden and Richard Nixon. In contrast, Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, and George Washington received the highest percentage of outstanding or above average ratings.
Among the recent presidents, Trump had a net rating of minus-20, with only Nixon, Biden, and George W. Bush rating lower. Presidents like Ronald Reagan, Barack Obama, and Jimmy Carter had positive net ratings. The survey results were heavily influenced by respondents' political affiliations, with Trump receiving a plus-70 net rating among Republicans and a minus-91 rating among Democrats. Similarly, Obama had a plus-83 net rating among Democrats but a minus-60 rating among Republicans.
The survey also included ratings for the 11 most recent first ladies. Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Rosalynn Carter, and Nancy Reagan received the highest net ratings, while Hillary Clinton, Melania Trump, and Jill Biden had negative net ratings. The poll was conducted online from Feb. 2-5 and has a margin of error of about 3 percentage points.