Evaluating Presidential Approval in Trump’s Second Term

As of April 27, 2025, the first year of Donald Trump’s second term as U.S. President has been characterized by significant political maneuvers, including the imposition of aggressive tariffs and the occurrence of the longest federal government shutdown recorded in U.S. history. Additionally, a major tax cut and spending bill have been enacted, alongside various immigration raids, all of which have spurred public protests.

With these developments in mind, one may wonder about the public’s perception of Trump’s performance in office, especially in comparison to the sentiments toward former Presidents Joe Biden, Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton.

To gain insights into these views, NBC News has been tracking presidential approval ratings for over three decades. The data collected is illustrated in charts that present Trump’s current approval rating alongside historical approval ratings for other past presidents. NBC News is committed to updating this information as new poll results become available.

Alex Ford, a former interactive journalist at NBC News, along with Jiachuan Wu, a senior interactive journalist for NBC News Digital, and Nigel Chiwaya, the Senior Editor for Data Visualization at NBC News Digital, have contributed significantly to this ongoing analysis.