Gallup Ends Long-Running Presidential Approval Polls
The American polling organization Gallup announced on Wednesday (February 11) that it will cease releasing individual political figures’ approval ratings and favorability data, including that of the President of the United States, bringing an end to the nearly 90-year tradition of conducting presidential job approval surveys.
A spokesperson for Gallup informed Dajiyuan Times on February 11 that this change took effect at the beginning of this year, stating that tracking the support and favorability of specific political figures “is no longer the area where Gallup can provide the most unique value in research.”
The spokesperson emphasized that, “This is a strategic adjustment purely based on Gallup’s research goals and priorities, and is part of an ongoing effort to align all public research with the organization’s mission. We look forward to continuing to provide independent research that meets the highest standards of social science.”
Gallup stated that it will continue to release the Gallup Poll Social Series, tracking long-term political and social trends in the United States, and will maintain quarterly reports focusing on the job market, while also retaining the Gallup World Poll covering approximately 140 countries.
Gallup’s presidential job approval rating surveys date back to 1938 when founder George Gallup first inquired about the American public’s approval of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s performance in office. Over the decades, the presidential job approval data from Gallup has become a vital source for media, scholars, and historians to analyze the public’s evaluations of past and present presidents.
Publicly available data indicates that Gallup’s current format of online presidential approval ratings can be traced back to President Harry S. Truman’s term in office (April 1945 to January 1953), with an average approval rating of 45% during his tenure. The highest average approval rating in Gallup’s polling history belongs to President John F. Kennedy, maintaining a 70% approval rating from January 1961 until his assassination in November 1963.
This tradition came to a close in December 2025 when Gallup announced that President Trump’s final approval rating was 36%. In contrast, Trump had a 47% approval rating when he returned to the White House in January 2025. His average approval rating for his first term was 41%, remaining consistent with the first year of his second term.
Gallup emphasized that this adjustment was an independent strategic decision. However, the timing of the announcement comes amidst Trump’s repeated criticisms of poll results being inaccurate and his threats of legal action against media outlets publishing unfavorable data.
In January of this year, Trump stated that he would include in a defamation lawsuit a poll conducted by The New York Times and Siena College. The poll revealed that only 34% of independent voters approved of his job performance approximately a year into his second term. Trump accused the results of being “fraudulent” on the Truth Social platform and vowed to hold those responsible legally accountable.
Trump said, “Our lawyers have asked them to preserve all records, including how they ‘calculated’ these phony results—not just the phenomenon of polls being heavily skewed toward the Democrats. They will be held responsible for all of the Radical Left’s lies and misconduct!”
The New York Times refuted the President’s criticisms, stating in a release that their poll was “widely cited for its rigor.”