A trio of national polls released over the past two weeks point in the same direction: more Americans now say Donald Trump has done a worse job as president than Joe Biden.
A White House spokesperson said in a statement that Trump has already made “historic progress” in the U.S. and abroad, adding that it is “not surprising” he remains a dominant figure in American politics.
Why It Matters
Perceptions of presidential performance can shape turnout, enthusiasm, and candidate recruitment in midterm election years. When different polling firms arrive at the same conclusion, that consensus can strengthen narratives that influence down-ballot races.
What To Know
Taken together, the three surveys align despite using different methods and samples. Each asked voters to compare Trump’s performance directly with Biden’s, and in all three, Trump did not win majority approval relative to his predecessor.
Economist/YouGov
The most recent survey, from The Economist/YouGov, polled 1,730 U.S. adult citizens from February 6 to 9 using an opt-in panel weighted to reflect the adult citizen population.
When asked whether Trump is doing a better or worse job than Biden, 46 percent said Trump is doing worse and 40 percent said he is doing better. Seven percent said the two were about the same, and 7 percent were unsure. The adjusted margin of error was plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.
Rasmussen Reports
Rasmussen Reports surveyed 1,094 likely voters from February 2 to 4 using a mix of telephone and online interviews, with a margin of error of 3 percentage points.
Asked which president did a better job—or whether there was no difference—respondents favored Biden by 48 percent to 40 percent, with the remainder saying there was no difference. Because Rasmussen is often associated with Republican-leaning results, analysts may view a Biden advantage in its head-to-head comparison as a notable signal rather than a methodological quirk.
Democratic strategist Chris D. Jackson called the results “brutal” in a post on X.
Harvard CAPS-Harris Poll
The Harvard CAPS-Harris Poll surveyed 2,000 registered voters online January 28 and 29 through opt-in panels weighted for demographic and political characteristics. The reported margin of error was plus or minus 1.99 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level.
In that poll, 51 percent said Trump is doing a worse job than Biden did, while 49 percent said Trump is doing a better job. The share saying “better” was down from 53 percent in December. Although the result is close, the shift moved Trump below the 50 percent mark.
What People Are Saying
Jackson argued on X that the clustering of similar findings—especially including Rasmussen—underscores how negative perceptions of Trump’s performance have become.
The White House statement said Trump was elected to deliver a “popular and commonsense agenda” and emphasized what it described as historic progress under his leadership.
Trump also claimed on social media that he was receiving the highest poll numbers of his career and said voters want a strong country and a strong economy.
What Happens Next
If these results continue, Republicans could face a more difficult environment in competitive districts. Democrats, meanwhile, will look to test whether dissatisfaction at the top of the ticket can translate into measurable midterm gains.
