People who religiously follow American politics often differ significantly in their opinions about presidents who have ruled the world’s most powerful country. Recently, 1,000 Americans were asked to rate their impressions of the five living presidents (current and former)—Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Joe Biden, and Donald Trump—as favorable or unfavorable in a Gallup poll from January 21–27, just after Trump was sworn in.
Let’s start with the president who received the highest ratings from polled Americans and work down to the ones who received the lowest.
Barack Obama
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Survey respondents said their overall opinion of this president is as follows:
Favorable: 59%
Unfavorable: 36%
NA (no opinion): 4%
Political party affiliation: Democratic Party
Years in office: 2009-2017
First Lady: Michelle Obama
Vice President: Joe Biden
The nation’s first Black president, Barack Obama, peaked in public favorability in 2009, right before his inauguration, with a 78% approval rating.
According to respondents to a 2016 Pew Research study, one of his most notable acts as president was enacting the Affordable Care Act of 2010, often known as Obamacare. In addition, 35% of respondents believed he made headway in resolving the nation’s “big problems.”
According to Gallup, Obama’s lowest public approval rating (42%) occurred in 2014, when Republicans won the Senate and grew their majority in the House following the midterm elections.
According to around one-third of Pew Research participants, Obama attempted but could not address the country’s “major problems,” 9% said he did not address them, and 21% said he made things worse.
George W. Bush
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Survey respondents said their overall opinion of this president is as follows:
Favorable: 52%
Unfavorable: 34%
NA (no opinion): 14%
Political party affiliation: Republican Party
Years in office: 1989-1993
First lady: Laura Bush
Vice President: Dick Cheney
During his presidency, George W. Bush’s most positive rating (87%) occurred in November 2001, following the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The majority of Americans initially supported his military action after 9/11, and his administration swiftly overthrew Saddam Hussein in 2003.
However, according to Gallup, Bush’s second term was “challenging,” as his approval rating fell to 32%, the lowest it has ever been. The Pew Research Centre lists the Iraq War, the response to Hurricane Katrina, and the 2008 economic collapse as significant causes of this decline.
Bill Clinton
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Survey respondents said their overall opinion of this president is as follows:
Favorable: 48%
Unfavorable: 41%
NA (no opinion): 12%
Political party affiliation: Democratic Party
Years in office: 1993-2001
First Lady: Hillary Rodham Clinton
Vice President: Al Gore
Hope and economic progress are two characteristics of Bill Clinton’s presidency. The Clinton administration’s historic accomplishments, including 116 consecutive months of growth, 22.5 million new jobs, low unemployment, and low inflation, are highlighted on an archival White House page from around 1998. Many Americans (up to 72% in 1999) believed their financial situation would improve, according to a Pew Research poll from 2001.
Clinton’s affair with Monica Lewinsky was a notorious controversy. Between January 22, 1998, and February 12, 1999, the evening newscasts of CBS, NBC, and ABC spent 2,345 minutes covering the incident, according to a Time Magazine count.
The Senate cleared Clinton of the allegations in 1999. Still, the House of Representatives voted to impeach him in 1998 on grounds of obstruction of justice and perjury (for lying about his affair with Lewinsky).
Donald Trump
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Survey respondents said their overall opinion of this president is as follows:
Favorable: 48%
Unfavorable: 50%
NA (no opinion): 2%
Political party affiliation: Republican Party
Years in office: 2017-2021, 2025-present
First Lady: Melania Trump
Vice President: Mike Pence (first term) and J.D. Vance (second term)
The 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), which reduced federal income taxes for individuals and corporations, was a victory during Donald Trump’s first presidential term.
According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the TCJA was supported by 81% of Republicans, 55% of Independents, and 53% of Democrats. The act’s success in the eyes of the American people is demonstrated by the fact that most voters (64%) support a permanent extension even though it is scheduled to expire at the end of this year. Conversely, Trump was twice impeached but was both cleared by the Senate.
Joe Biden
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Survey respondents said their overall opinion of this president is as follows:
Favorable: 39%
Unfavorable: 57%
NA (no opinion): 4%
Political party affiliation: Democratic Party
Years in office: 2021-2025
First lady: Jill Biden
Vice President: Kamala Harris
Near the end of his vice presidential term, in January 2017, Joe Biden’s popularity reached its highest point at 61%.
Despite some controversy, his American Rescue Plan Act for pandemic relief received a 63% approval rating from Americans. Another highlight of Joe Biden‘s administration was the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which garnered support from both parties.
The majority of Americans supported Biden’s decision to remove American troops from Afghanistan. Nonetheless, 26% of Americans believed he had performed an “only fair” job, while 48% said he handled the withdrawal poorly.
The public’s perception of Biden’s economic policies was likewise unfavorable; 38% of respondents said they had little faith in his ability to manage the economy, the lowest level since George W. Bush in 2008. Throughout his reelection campaign, Biden’s age also became a significant concern for voters.
