Since Gallup began tracking presidential approval in the 1940s, the numbers have revealed sharp contrasts — honeymoon periods, steep declines, and records that endure for decades. Trump and Biden now occupy the two lowest spots in post-World War II polling history, with averages around 41–42% versus the 53% historical mean.
Trump Highest: 49% (McLaughlin & Associates) · Truman Final: 32% (Gallup) · Eisenhower Final: 59% (Gallup) · Gallup Tracker: news.gallup.com · Economist Tracker: www.economist.com
Quick snapshot
- Trump favorability 46% tied with Biden in May 2024 Gallup poll (Gallup News)
- Trump peaked at 49% multiple times in 2020 (Wikipedia)
- Truman holds the lowest final Gallup rating at 32% (Gallup News)
- Economist and NYT maintain real-time interactive charts (Economist)
These key metrics provide immediate context for comparing Trump and Biden against historical benchmarks and tracking resources.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Trump Peak Approval | 49% | McLaughlin & Associates (via Wikipedia) |
| Truman Final Approval | 32% | Gallup |
| Gallup Source | news.gallup.com | Primary polling data |
| Economist Tracker | www.economist.com | Interactive visualization |
| Roper Highs/Lows | ropercenter.cornell.edu | Cornell University archive |
Trump approval rating today
Gallup’s presidential job approval center tracks Donald Trump’s ratings in his second term using periodic multiday polls, a methodology that shifted from the daily tracking used during his first term in 2017–2018.
Latest polls
In Gallup’s May 1–23 polling, Trump and Biden stood tied at 46% favorability on the scalometer measure — a notable finding given their divergent trajectories over the preceding years. Twenty-five percent of respondents viewed Trump highly favorably, compared with 20% for Biden. However, Trump’s highly unfavorable score of 40% exceeded Biden’s 35% by 5 percentage points.
Gallup data
Trump’s second term began with a 47% approval rating on January 27, 2025, according to compiled Gallup data. His lowest recorded point in the current term reached 36% on November 28, 2025, and again on December 15, 2025. The Gallup Presidential Job Approval Center allows users to filter results by party identification, age, region, and other demographic factors, providing granular views of how approval fluctuates across voter subgroups.
Trend graph
The Economist maintains an interactive approval rating tracker that displays both Trump and Biden alongside historical averages, giving readers a visual comparison across administrations. These graphs are updated as new polling data becomes available, though the exact frequency varies by pollster.
Biden approval rating
Joe Biden’s term (2021–2025) produced some of the lowest presidential approval numbers in Gallup’s modern polling history, ending with numbers that placed him second only to Harry Truman among post-World War II presidents.
Recent polls
Biden’s final Gallup approval rating stood at 40% from the January 2–15 poll — a number that placed him well below the 50% threshold most predecessors managed at term’s end. His partisan gap of 79 points ranked among the highest ever recorded, reflecting the deep polarization that defined his administration.
Comparison to Trump
Biden’s term average of 42.2% compares to Trump’s first-term average of 41% — remarkably similar figures despite very different political circumstances. Biden’s average among independents ran 2 percentage points higher than Trump’s 37% low among the same group, though both presidents saw minimal crossover appeal.
Gallup weekly
Gallup’s ongoing Biden tracker documented the trajectory of his ratings across four years: first-year average 48.9%, second-year 41.0%, third-year 39.8%, and fourth-year 39.1%. The consistent decline reflected accumulating challenges rather than any single event, though specific incidents left measurable marks.
Which president had the highest approval rating
George W. Bush holds the record for the highest presidential approval rating in Gallup’s modern polling, reaching 90% in the immediate aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks. Among sitting presidents tested during their terms, Eisenhower’s 59% final rating stands as the highest peacetime departure in the post-WWII era.
Peak ratings
Trump’s personal peak of 49% occurred multiple times in 2020, a fraction of Bush’s post-9/11 surge but notable given his lower baseline. The spike reflected temporary unity around crisis leadership rather than sustained partisan consensus.
Poll sources
The Roper Center at Cornell University maintains a cross-pollster database of presidential highs and lows, drawing from Gallup, Quinnipiac, CNN, and other major survey firms. This archive provides the most comprehensive verification of peak ratings across multiple methodologies.
Historical leaders
Beyond Bush and Eisenhower, several presidents achieved notable peaks: Kennedy hit 83% before his assassination, Reagan reached 71% during his 1986 Reykjavik summit with Gorbachev, and Obama peaked at 69% the day after the 2011 bin Laden raid. Each peak corresponded to a specific rallying event rather than sustained popularity.
Which president had the lowest approval rating
Harry Truman’s final Gallup rating of 32% remains the lowest ever recorded for a departing president in modern polling, a number that came after the Korean War stalemate and economic challenges of his second term. The record has stood for over 70 years.
Final ratings
Trump’s first term ended with a 34% approval rating on January 15, 2021 — the day before Biden’s inauguration. Biden’s final 40% in January 2025 sits above Truman’s nadir but below every other post-WWII president’s departure point except Truman himself.
Trough examples
UC Santa Barbara’s American Presidency Project compiles final approval ratings from multiple pollsters, showing the progression from Truman’s 32% through Johnson’s 49%, Reagan’s 63%, and Clinton’s 66%. The upward trend across most of the 20th century reversed in the 21st, with both Trump and Biden departing below 50%.
Truman 32%
Truman’s 32% reflected a confluence of factors: an inconclusive Korean War, inflation concerns, and a bipartisan backlash against his handling of labor disputes. His subsequent comeback in the 1948 election demonstrated that approval ratings don’t always predict electoral outcomes, a lesson that resonates with every modern president facing poor poll numbers.
Trump approval rating compared to other presidents
Comparing presidential approval ratings across eras reveals how polarization has reshaped the polling landscape. Where Eisenhower moved between 60% and 70% with relative stability, modern presidents face floor effects among opposition partisans that compress overall averages.
Graph comparisons
The Economist’s interactive tracker visualizes approval trajectories across administrations, normalizing for term length and time in office. These comparisons are particularly useful for seeing how Trump’s first-term 41% average compares to predecessors at equivalent points in their terms.
Gallup center
Gallup’s Presidential Job Approval Center provides direct comparison tools, allowing users to plot up to three presidents simultaneously against shared timeline markers. The data shows Biden’s 42.2% average tracking slightly above Trump’s 41% but well below Clinton’s 55%, Reagan’s 52%, and Obama’s 47%.
Historical averages
Among post-WWII presidents completing full terms, the average Gallup approval sits around 53% for the group. Reagan led at 52.8%, followed by Obama at 47.2%, Clinton at 55.1%, and Bush 43 at 49.4%. Trump’s 41% and Biden’s 42.2% represent the two lowest in this cohort, separated from predecessors by a margin of 6–8 percentage points.
The pattern makes clear that recent presidents operate in a structurally different polling environment, where partisan loyalty both elevates floors and caps ceilings.
This comparison table illustrates how Trump and Biden diverge from historical norms.
| President | Term Average | Final Rating | Partisan Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Donald Trump (2017–2021) | 41% | 34% | 81 points |
| Joe Biden (2021–2025) | 42.2% | 40% | 79 points |
| Harry Truman | 45.5% | 32% | N/A |
| Jimmy Carter | 45.5% | 34% | N/A |
| Bill Clinton | 55.1% | 66% | N/A |
| Ronald Reagan | 52.8% | 63% | N/A |
Approval Rating Timeline
These milestone dates trace the arc of both administrations against key political events.
| Period | Event | Source |
|---|---|---|
| January 2017 | Trump first term starts at 45% | Wikipedia (Gallup data) |
| February 2021 | Biden term starts at 57% | Wikipedia (Gallup data) |
| September 2021 | Biden approval drops post-Afghanistan to 43% | Gallup News |
| January 2021 | Trump first term ends at 34% | Wikipedia (Gallup data) |
| July 2024 | Biden low 36% post-debate | Wikipedia (Gallup data) |
| January 2025 | Biden final 40% | Wikipedia (Gallup data) |
| January 2025 | Trump second term starts at 47% | Wikipedia (Gallup data) |
| November 2025 | Trump second term low 36% | Wikipedia (Gallup data) |
What We Know and What Remains Unclear
Confirmed facts
- Gallup multiday polls have tracked Truman through Biden with consistent methodology
- Biden’s 42.2% term average ranks second-lowest post-WWII
- Both Trump and Biden departed below 50% final approval
- Partisan gaps of 79–81 points characterized both administrations
What’s unclear
- Exact current daily fluctuations in Trump’s second-term ratings
- How non-Gallup pollsters (Quinnipiac, Rasmussen) compare to Gallup benchmarks
- Whether 2025 data will complete a full-year average for Trump
- Regional or demographic variations beyond party/age/race breakdowns
Trump’s May 2024 favorability matches his 2020 campaign-end score of 46% but sits 10 points above his November 2016 result of 36%, suggesting some recovery among moderates who voted against him. Biden’s 46% ties his May 2024 number but trails Clinton’s 47% from 2016.
Clinton and Reagan are the only post-WWII presidents to depart with final approvals above 60% — at 66% and 63% respectively. Every other president since Truman finished below 50% or didn’t seek re-election. Trump and Biden both joined the sub-50% club, raising questions about whether polarization has permanently altered the baseline.
What the Data Shows
Joe Biden averaged 42.2% job approval during his four years as president, the second lowest in Gallup polling history.
— Gallup News, Presidential Job Approval Analysis
The low point for Biden was a 36% approval rating in July 2024. That survey was conducted after his poor performance in the first 2024 presidential candidate debate.
— Gallup News, Historical Statistics and Trends
Summary
Trump and Biden occupy adjacent spots at the bottom of post-WWII approval history, with term averages around 41–42% versus the 53% historical mean. Truman’s 32% final rating remains the nadir, but both modern presidents finished closer to that floor than any peacetime predecessors. The implication for future presidents is clear: polarization has compressed the approval ceiling while maintaining a relatively stable floor, making sustained above-50% ratings the exception rather than the rule.
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Frequently asked questions
What factors influence United States presidential approval ratings?
Presidential approval responds to economic conditions, international crises, partisan loyalty, and major legislative or executive actions. Events like wars, elections, and scandals create measurable spikes or drops, but underlying partisan polarization now limits how far any president can drift from their base.
How often does Gallup poll presidential approval?
Gallup’s frequency has varied: daily tracking during Obama and early Trump years, shifting to periodic multiday polls from 2019 onward. The current approach balances data freshness with cost efficiency, typically producing new numbers every few weeks rather than daily.
What is the average presidential approval rating?
Post-WWII presidents who completed full terms averaged approximately 53% in Gallup polling, with Reagan (52.8%) and Obama (47.2%) near that range. Trump (41%) and Biden (42.2%) fall 10–11 points below the historical mean.
How does Biden’s approval compare historically?
Biden’s 42.2% term average ranks second-lowest in post-WWII history, ahead of only Truman’s 45.5% (adjusted for era). His 40% final rating sits above Truman’s 32% nadir but below every other departing president.
Where can I find Trump approval rating graphs?
The Economist maintains an interactive tracker at economist.com, while Gallup’s Presidential Job Approval Center provides filtering by party, age, and region. Wikipedia’s compiled table offers a historical overview with dates for key highs and lows.
Is presidential approval rating predictive of elections?
The relationship is imperfect. Truman won re-election in 1948 despite 32% approval, while his successors with much higher ratings sometimes lost. In the modern polarized environment, approval ratings correlate more with partisan loyalty than with crossover voting behavior.
What is the methodology for approval rating polls?
Gallup typically asks whether respondents approve or disapprove of the president’s job performance, using random-digit-dial sampling of adults including landlines and cell phones. Cross-tabulations by party, region, age, and gender reveal demographic patterns within the overall numbers.
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Noah Gagnon is Senior Regional Reporter at Kelowna Daily, covering breaking stories and community news across the Okanagan.