A majority of Americans say President Joe Biden's time in office will be viewed negatively by history, according to a new poll released Tuesday from Gallup.
As Biden brings his more than half century of government service to a close, 54% of Americans said Biden will be remembered negatively, with 37% labeling the outgoing president "below average" and 17% saying Biden's presidency will be viewed as "poor."
Conversely, 6% of those polled say Biden will be seen as "outstanding," with 13% saying he will be remembered as an "above average" president, while 26% of those surveyed said Biden will be seen as "average."
Compared to other past presidents, Biden's net rating of -35 is similar to those of former President Richard Nixon who carries a -42 net rating — meaning 12% outstanding or above average versus 54% below average or poor. President-elect Donald Trump currently pulls relatively high positive ratings at 40% but also carries high negatives at 44%. Trump's high "outstanding" rating of 17% was higher than most former presidents.
The recent Gallup survey noted that Trump's overall rating has improved significantly from when he left office in 2021 with a net -32 rating. The president-elect will enter his second term in office with a net -4 rating. Historically, former President John F. Kennedy ranks the highest among presidents since 1960, with a net positive rating of 68, followed by presidents Ronald Reagan at +38 and Barack Obama at +21.
The Gallup survey was conducted between Dec. 2-18 among 1,003 adults across all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia and carries a margin of sampling error of ±5 percentage points.
James Morley III ✉
James Morley III is a writer with more than two decades of experience in entertainment, travel, technology, and science and nature.