In the United States, presidential job approval ratings were first conducted about 1937 by George Gallup to gauge public support for the president of the United States during their term. An approval rating is a percentage of a population sample who approve of a particular person or program, as determined by an opinion poll. Typically, a politician is assigned an approval rating based on responses to a poll in which a sample of people are asked whether they approve or disapprove of that politician. A question might ask: "Do you approve or disapprove of the way that the current president is handling their job as president?"
Like most surveys that measure opinions, individual poll results may be inaccurate. Many unscientific approval rating systems exist that give inaccurate statistics, such as surveys that self-select, as in online questions. However, the aggregate presidential approval rating is generally accepted by statisticians as a statistically valid indicator of the comparative changes in the popular U.S. mood regarding a president. George W. Bush registered a 90% job approval rating (the highest in Gallup's tracking) shortly after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.Jones, J. (2022). Who had the highest Gallup presidential job approval rating? Gallup. Retrieved from Who Had the Highest Gallup Presidential Job Approval Rating? Harry S. Truman registered a 22% job approval rating (the lowest in Gallup's tracking) in a survey conducted February 9–14, 1952.Jones, J. (2022). Who had the lowest Gallup presidential job approval rating? Gallup. Retrieved from Who Had the Lowest Gallup Presidential Job Approval Rating?
In 2026, Gallup announced that it would cease its polling of presidential approval ratings, as well as those of other public figures. Thus, Rasmussen polling is used for Donald Trump's second term, which runs from 2025 to 2029.
Historical comparison
+ Rasmussen Poll approval highs and lows for each president 2025–present President Years in office Approval Disapproval Margin Final poll Pollsper year Highest Lowest Highest Lowest Highest Lowest47Donald Trump2025–202656(2025-01-23)36((2025-11-28, 2025-12-15))1658(2026-05-07, 2026-06-04, 2026-06-08, 2026-07-03)40(2025-01-23)0(2025-04-03, 2024-04-24, 2025-05-19, 2025-05-21, 2025-05-22, 2025-07-09, 2025-07-17, 2025-08-13, 2025-08-15, 2025-08-20, 2025-08-21, 2025-08-22, 2025-09-25, 2025-09-30)-18(2026-06-04, 2026-06-08, 2026-07-03)colspan="2"
+ Historical Gallup Poll approval highs and lows for each president 1937–2025The American Presidency Project at UC Santa Barbara. President Years in office Approval Disapproval Margin Final poll Pollsper year Highest Lowest Highest Lowest Highest Lowest46Joe Biden2021–20254257(2021-02-02, 2021-04-21)36(2024-07-21)2159(2022-07-26, 2023-04-25, 2023-10-23, 2023-11-21, 2023-12-20, 2024-02-20)37(2021-02-02)20(2021-02-02)−22(2023-04-25, 2023-10-23, 2023-11-21, 2024-07-21)40(2025-01-15)1245Donald Trump2017–20214149(2020-01-29, 2020-02-16, 2020-03-22, 2020-04-28, 2020-05-13)34(2021-01-15)1562(2021-01-15)45(2017-01-22, 2020-03-22)Saad, Lydia (January 23, 2017). Trump Sets New Low Point for Inaugural Approval Rating. Gallup Inc..4(2020-03-22)−28 (2021-01-15)34 (2021-01-15)4044Barack Obama2009–20174869(2009-01-24)38(2014-09-05)3157(2014-10-10)12(2009-01-23)56(2009-01-23, 2009-01-24)−18(2014-10-10)59(2017-01-19)48.443George W. Bush2001–20094990(2001-09-22)25(2008-10-05, 2008-10-12, 2008-11-02)6571(2008-10-10)6(2001-09-22)84(2001-09-22)−46(2008-10-12)34(2009-01-11)33.742Bill Clinton1993–20015573(1998-12-20)37(1993-06-06)3654(1994-09-07)20(1993-01-26)48(1998-12-20)−14(1994-09-07)66(2001-01-14)28.541"Presidential Job Approval for George H. W. Bush". American Presidency Project.George H. W. Bush1989–19936189(1991-02-28)29(1992-08-02)6060(1992-07-31)6(1989-01-26)82(1991-03-03)−30(1992-08-02, 1992-10-13)56(1993-01-11)39.540"Presidential Job Approval for Ronald Reagan". American Presidency Project.Ronald Reagan1981–19895368(1986-05-19)35(1983-01-31)3356(1983-01-31)13(1981-02-02)49(1981-04-06)−21(1983-01-31)63(1988-12-29)37.0 39"Presidential Job Approval for Jimmy Carter". American Presidency Project.Jimmy Carter1977–19814675(1977-03-21)28(1979-07-02)4759(1979-07-02)8(1977-02-07, 1977-03-02)66(1977-03-15)−31(1979-07-02)34(1980-12-08)22.738"Presidential Job Approval for Gerald Ford". American Presidency Project.Gerald Ford1974–19774771(1974-08-19)37(1975-03-31)3448(1975-03-31)3(1974-08-19)67(1974-08-13)−11(1975-03-31)53(1976-12-13)14.737"Presidential Job Approval for Richard Nixon". American Presidency Project.Richard Nixon1969–19744967(1969-11-17, 1973-01-29)24(1974-07-15, 1974-07-26, 1974-08-05)4366(1974-08-05)5(1969-01-28)57(1969-03-17)−42(1974-08-05)24(1974-08-05)17.736"Presidential Job Approval for Lyndon B. Johnson". American Presidency Project.Lyndon B. Johnson1963–19695579(1964-03-05)35(1968-08-12)4453(1968-08-12)2(1963-12-10)75(1963-12-10)−18(1968-08-12)49(1969-01-06)15.335"Presidential Job Approval for John F. Kennedy". American Presidency Project.John F. Kennedy1961–19637082(1961-05-03, 1961-06-06)56(1963-09-17)2630(1963-11-13)5(1961-04-11)77(1961-05-03)27(1963-09-17)58(1963-11-13)13.734Presidential Job Approval for "Dwight D. Eisenhower". American Presidency Project.Dwight D. Eisenhower1953–19616579(1956-12-19)48(1958-04-01)3136(1958-04-01)7(1953-02-05)66(1953-04-02, 1956-12-19)12(1958-04-01)59(1960-12-13)14.433"Presidential Job Approval for Harry S. Truman". American Presidency Project.Harry Truman1945–19534587(1945-06-05)22(1951-11-16, 1952-02-14)6567385(1945-08-22)−4332(1952-12-16)8.432"Presidential Job Approval for Franklin D. Roosevelt". American Presidency Project.Franklin D. Roosevelt1933–19456383483546(1938-05-22, 1938-05-29, 1938-11-07)73658
Approval at the beginning of the presidency + Historical Gallup Poll approval at the beginning of each presidency since 1953PresidencyPresidentInitial approvalInitial disapproval47Trump47 (2025-01-29) 48 (2025-01-29) 46 Biden57 (2021-02-02)37 (2021-02-02)45 Trump45 (2017-01-22)45 (2017-01-22)44 Obama68 (2009-01-23)12 (2009-01-23)43 G. W. Bush57 (2001-02-05)25 (2001-02-05)42 Clinton58 (1993-01-24)20 (1993-01-24)41 G. H. W. Bush51 (1989-01-26)6 (1989-01-26)40 Reagan51 (1981-02-02)13 (1981-02-02)39 Carter66 (1977-01-07)8 (1977-01-07)38 Ford71 (1974-08-19)3 (1974-08-19)37 Nixon59 (1969-01-28)5 (1969-01-28)36 Johnson78 (1963-12-10)2 (1963-12-10)35 Kennedy72 (1961-02-15)6 (1961-02-15)34 Eisenhower68 (1953-02-05)7 (1953-02-05)33 Truman87 (1945-06-05)3 (1945-06-05)
Historical net approval of each presidency +Historical average polling approval of each presidency since 1953. Polling figures are the unweighted mean of both polling averages reported by Real Clear Politics and FiveThirtyEight.PresidencyPresidentAverage initial approvalAverage initial disapprovalNet initial approvalAverage final approvalAverage final disapprovalNet final approvalInitial to final change47Trump4741 +6————46Biden57.537.5 +2037.956.9 -19 -3945Trump4545 041.156.1 -15 -1544Obama68.512.5 +565937 +22 -3443G. W. Bush5725 +323461 -27 -5942Clinton5820 +386629 +37 -141G. H. W. Bush516 +455637 +19 -2640Reagan5113 +386329 +34 -439Carter668 +583455 -21 -7938Ford713 +685332 +21 -4737Nixon595 +542466 -42 -9636Johnson782 +764933 +16 -6035Kennedy726 +665828 +30 -3634Eisenhower687 +615928 +31 -3033Truman873 +843256 -24 -108
Graphs
See also Historical rankings of presidents of the United States List of heads of the executive by approval rating Opinion polling on the first Trump presidency Opinion polling on the second Trump presidency Opinion polling on the Biden administration Opinion polling on the Reagan administration
Notes
References
External links "Historical Presidential Job Performance Ratings". Roper Center. "Trump approval ratings" . FiveThirtyEight. "Midterm Presidential Approval Ratings" . Data360. . PresidentPollsUSA. "Historical Presidential Approval Ratings 1945–2009". The Wall Street Journal. "President Obama's Ongoing Job Approval" . (CongressRatings)