Former President Barack Obama has come up with a clear favorability advantage over President Donald Trump in a new favorability poll. This is in addition to the current president’s ongoing struggle with public perception as his approval numbers slide across multiple fronts.
New poll shows Americans views on Donald Trump and Barack Obama
A new University of Massachusetts/YouGov poll measuring attitudes toward more than 20 global personalities places Barack Obama in positive territory, while Donald Trump’s numbers reveal the sitting president deep underwater. Obama achieved a 50% favorability rating and a 36% unfavorable rating, producing a net +14% score. Trump, however, posts a net favorability of -18%. This result leaves him trailing not only Obama but also other political leaders included in the study.
George W. Bush registers as the only other U.S. president in positive ground at +5%, while Joe Biden made it at -19%. More unexpectedly, singer Dolly Parton dominates the entire field, getting a 70% favorability rating against just 5% unfavorable with a commanding +65% net score.
Economic worries and the ongoing war with Iran appear to fuel Trump’s recent approval slump at the polls. A CNN/SSRS poll conducted this month finds that only 31% of Americans approve of his economic management, making it the lowest figure of either term.
Meanwhile, a CBS/YouGov poll uncovers big enough distress over the war in Iran, where rising oil and gas prices have amplified public unease. According to that poll, 68% of Americans feel worried, 57% feel stressed, and 54% feel angry about the war. Only 32% report feeling either safe or confident regarding the situation.
This erosion of support extends into major electoral strongholds. Polling data indicates that Trump now sits underwater in more than half of the states he won in 2024, including all seven states he frequently touts. It has been attributed that much of this slide to weakening support among independent voters, younger Americans, and nonwhite voters — the groups that had shown him acceptability during the last election cycle.
Originally reported by Devanshi Basu on Mandatory.
