President Donald Trump received one of his lowest ratings in a recent YouGov survey that asked Americans to grade 20 U.S. presidents from “outstanding” to “poor.” Majorities placed Trump in the lower categories.
The YouGov results, released on Friday, showed that 35% of respondents rated Trump as “outstanding” or “above average.” In contrast, 54% rated his presidency as “below average” or “poor,” including 48% who chose “poor.” Only 9% considered it “average,” and 2% were unsure.
YouGov noted that half of Americans rated Trump as “poor,” which was the highest percentage among the 20 presidents included in the poll. In comparison, presidents like Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, and George Washington received much higher ratings of “outstanding” or “above average.”
These new YouGov numbers come alongside other recent polling that shows Trump struggling with his job performance and immigration, issues that are important for his 2024 campaign and early second-term plans.
A Pew Research Center survey conducted from January 20 to 26 found Trump’s job approval at 37%, with 61% disapproving. Pew reported that approval among Republicans and Republican-leaning independents was at 73%, while among Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents, it was in the single digits.
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71% of Americans believe the United States is out of control under President Trump, according to YouGov survey pic.twitter.com/aHH5h5ewc3
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On immigration, a Reuters/Ipsos poll published on January 26 found that 39% approved of Trump’s handling of the issue, while 53% disapproved. This was the lowest approval Reuters had recorded on immigration since Trump returned to office. Ipsos, which provided a summary of the same survey, reported the same 39% approve and 53% disapprove split. Additionally, Reuters found that 58% of respondents said federal immigration enforcement had gone “too far.”
An AP-NORC poll released this week showed similar concerns among independents. About 60% said Trump has gone too far with federal immigration agents in U.S. cities. The poll found Trump’s immigration approval among independents at 23%, down from 37% in March 2025.
The YouGov survey focused on retrospective evaluations rather than a standard approval question. It asked Americans to rate presidents on a five-point scale from “outstanding” to “poor.” The detailed toplines indicate that Trump’s ratings include relatively high positive scores compared with some recent presidents. However, the percentage calling his presidency “poor” is unusually large, resulting in one of the most negative overall profiles in the survey.
Pollsters mention that comparisons across surveys can differ based on the wording of questions, sample sizes, and timing. YouGov described its report as a broad evaluation of presidential and first lady “legacies,” while Pew and Reuters/Ipsos looked at current views of Trump’s job performance and handling of issues during a time of significant attention on immigration enforcement and other administration actions.
Overall, the recent patterns are consistent and Trump displays weak overall approval numbers but retains strength within the Republican coalition. However, he has weaker support among independents on issues that are likely to influence the political landscape leading into the 2026 midterms.
The GOP only has a slim majority, and a wipeout in the midterms could mean the beginning of a lame-duck presidency, which Trump fears.
