(LOOTPRESS) – In a recent Gallup survey conducted from January 21-27, former President Barack Obama emerged as the most favorably viewed among the five living U.S. presidents, with a 59% favorability rating. President Joe Biden, on the other hand, received the lowest rating at 39%. Meanwhile, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton were rated more positively than negatively, while public opinion on Donald Trump remained sharply divided.
The survey was taken shortly after Trump’s inauguration to a second term on January 20, an event attended by all four other living presidents. Additionally, all five presidents were present at the January 9 funeral of former President Jimmy Carter.
Trump’s Favorability Remains Stable
Trump’s favorability rating has remained largely unchanged from Gallup’s post-2024 election survey. While his ratings are evenly split between positive and negative, they mark some of his highest scores since Gallup began tracking opinions of him in 1999. His only net-positive rating came in 2005, when he was widely known for hosting the reality television show The Apprentice and had yet to enter Republican politics.
During his first presidential campaign in 2015-2016, Trump’s average favorability stood at 33%. After winning the 2016 election, it rose to 42% and peaked at 46% following his first inauguration. His ratings fluctuated throughout his first term but fell to 36% in early 2021 amidst surging COVID-19 cases and the January 6 Capitol riot. His numbers rebounded to 40% in mid-2023 following his indictment in the classified documents case.
Biden’s Favorability Nears Historic Lows
Biden’s current 39% favorability rating is close to his lowest recorded level—37% in June 2024—when concerns about his policy positions and age led to his trailing Trump in the election polls. His lowest ratings followed a poor performance in the first presidential debate on June 27, where questions about his age intensified.
Biden’s highest favorability rating was 61% in January 2017, near the end of his vice presidency, and he nearly matched that in January 2021 when he took office.
Obama’s Favorability Remains Steady
Obama’s public image has remained largely stable since late 2016, with ratings consistently ranging between 58% and 63%. His highest recorded favorability was 78% in January 2009, just before his first inauguration, while his lowest came in November 2014 (42%) after Republicans took control of the Senate in the midterm elections.
Bush and Clinton See Mixed Reactions
George W. Bush’s favorability has dipped slightly from 59% in 2017 to 52% today, largely due to increased unfamiliarity among the public. His highest approval rating—87%—came in the wake of the 9/11 attacks in November 2001, while his lowest was 32% in April 2008 during his second term.
Bill Clinton’s favorability has improved, with 48% of Americans now viewing him positively, compared to 45% in 2017. Meanwhile, his unfavorable rating has dropped from 52% to 41%. Clinton’s highest approval rating came in August 2012 (69%) before that year’s Democratic National Convention.
Partisan Divides in Presidential Favorability
Predictably, each president’s favorability rating is significantly higher among members of their own party. Trump holds the most polarized ratings, with 93% of Republicans viewing him favorably versus just 7% of Democrats—a gap of 86 percentage points. Biden and Obama also show deep partisan divides, with their ratings differing by more than 70 points between Democrats and Republicans.
Bush’s ratings are the least divided by party, with a 15-point difference between Republicans (63%) and Democrats (48%). Obama remains the most popular among Democrats, with a 96% favorability rating, compared to Biden (78%) and Clinton (77%).
Historical Trends and Future Outlook
Presidential favorability trends typically follow a familiar pattern—high ratings around inauguration, declines while in office, low ratings at the end of their term, and gradual improvement post-presidency. Obama has been an exception, maintaining high ratings since leaving office. If history holds, Trump’s favorability may decline over the next four years, while Biden’s could see a rebound over time.
