Gallup is no longer tracking presidential approval ratings after nearly 90 years of leading the way with data.
The company stopped publishing approval and favorability ratings of political figures earlier this year, Gallup confirmed in a statement, saying it “reflects an evolution in how Gallup focuses its public research and thought leadership.”
“This change is part of a broader, ongoing effort to align all of Gallup’s public work with its mission,” a spokesperson said. “We look forward to continuing to offer independent research that adheres to the highest standards of social science.”
Dr. George Gallup founded the American Institute of Public Opinion in 1935, according to the polling agency’s website. The organization would later be renamed after its founder.
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To uphold objectivity, Gallup refused to conduct polling sponsored by “special-interest groups such as the Republican and Democratic parties.”
Gallup’s first major breakthrough came in 1936, when its polls correctly predicted that Franklin D. Roosevelt would defeat Alfred Landon in the U.S. presidential race, contradicting the most prominent pollster at the time, The Literary Digest.
Beginning in 1938, Gallup introduced its presidential approval rating, which became a key measure of how the American public viewed a president’s performance.
The shift comes after months of threats from President Donald Trump toward pollsters who have published unfavorable ratings. Most recently, in January, the president said he would expand his existing defamation lawsuit against The New York Times after the paper released an updated poll showing his approval had fallen to 40%.
Gallup tracked changes in Trump’s approval rating throughout 2025, reporting a decline from 47% at the time of his inauguration to 36% in its final update in December.
In describing what comes next, a Gallup spokesperson said the company will continue its long-term research through initiatives including the Gallup Poll Social Series, the Gallup Quarterly Business Review, the World Poll, and its broader U.S. and global research portfolio.
