Gallup: Congressional Leaders More Disliked Than Liked

Congressional leaders from both parties are more disliked than liked by the American people, according to the latest approval poll from Gallup.

Gallup asked respondents about the top four congressional leaders: House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and found that all of them are more disliked than liked across the country.

• Ryan: 40 percent favorable, 45 percent unfavorable;
• McConnell: 24 percent favorable, 50 percent unfavorable;
• Pelosi: 29 percent favorable, 53 percent unfavorable;
• Schumer: 29 percent favorable, 44 percent unfavorable.

The poll also found that fewer people expressed no opinion on House members Ryan, 15 percent, and Pelosi, 18 percent, than on Senate leaders McConnell, 26 percent, and Schumer, 28 percent.

Since Gallup’s last poll on the four congressional leaders, taken in April 2017, each legislator except for Ryan has taken a hit. Ryan’s net favorability rating rose slightly from -7 to -5, but Pelosi’s dropped from -14 to -24, McConnell’s from -17 to -26, and Schumer’s from -5 to -15.

Ryan is more popular with Republicans, independents and Democrats than McConnell, while Pelosi and Schumer are neck-and-neck with each demographic.

Pollster Megan Brenan notes that "given the current 19 percent job approval rating of Congress," according to a Gallup poll conducted earlier this month, "it is not surprising that the public does not view top congressional leaders positively."

"Furthermore, recent history has shown that assuming the role of House speaker has had adverse effects on favorability ratings,” she continues. "While Ryan's image is currently the best of the lot, he still falls below majority-level favorability. Meanwhile, Americans view the two leaders who have been in office the longest, McConnell and Pelosi, the most negatively."

Gallup polled 1,520 adults from June 1-13, 2018, from all 50 states and the District of Columbia by phone, with a margin of error of  3 percentage points.

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