A recent Gallup poll has revealed a shocking dip in former President Joe Biden’s standing in the public eye. The favorability poll makes it clear that he is the least-liked living U.S. president. His rating is just 39%, which is now lower than that of his predecessor and successor, Donald Trump. The latter sits at 48%.
That being the numbers for these two, you might be wondering who’s topped the list. Who’s the favorite of Americans, then? Well, according to Gallup, Barack Obama is the favorite as he enjoys a 59% approval rating. Former President George W. Bush follows him with 52%. Next in line are Bill Clinton and Donald Trump at 48%. Biden, however, lags behind all of them after he managed to secure the lowest favorability rating among the five.
Biden’s fall from grace has been stark. His current 39% favorability rating is only a little better than his lowest-ever recorded rating. That had dropped to 37% in June 2024. At the time, there were major concerns about his public perception, especially after a big debate performance on June 27. Gallup noted that Biden’s unfavorable rating is high at 57%, which makes him the only living president with a net-negative approval.
During his time as vice president, Biden had much higher ratings. He even reached a peak of 61% in January 2017. However, since taking office, there has been a steady decline in his approval. In January 2021, when he started his term, Biden had a 59% favorability rating. But that number has degraded over time.
Speaking of Trump, Gallup notes that Trump’s current 48% favorability ranking is among his highest since he has been in politics. “He has had only one net-positive rating to date—50% favorable and 38% unfavorable—in 2005, when he was featured in the reality television show The Apprentice and before he entered Republican politics,” Gallup wrote in its analysis.
View this post on Instagram
During his first presidential campaign in 2015 and 2016, Trump had an average favorability of 33%, but that rose to 42% after he defeated Hillary Clinton in 2016. During the first term, his favorability fluctuated. It peaked at 46% but dropped to 36% at the end of his presidency in early 2021 amid rising COVID-19 cases and the Capitol riot on January 6.
After his indictment in the classified documents case in July 2023, Trump’s approval rating got an improvement to 40% and has since climbed to its current level.
View this post on Instagram
The 2028 election cycle is on the horizon, and both leaders face ongoing scrutiny. However, Biden’s historically low favorability could stand out as the biggest obstacle in helping him regain his political standing.
