--- title: Trump Approval Rating Lower Than Other Presidents, Poll Says description: President Donald Trump has received low approval ratings that are worse than any other president's over several decades, according to a poll canonical: https://time.com/5010653/donald-trump-approval-ratings-low-poll/ author: Jennifer Calfas article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-11-05T17:01:35.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-12T08:27:11.073Z article:section: Politics og:title: President Trump's Approval Rating Is Lower Than Any Modern President og:description: Barack Obama and George W. Bush had higher ratings at this time in their presidency og:url: https://time.com/5010653/donald-trump-approval-ratings-low-poll/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2ef5f54534f69085/6988e379196cf4a0eb0427c6/donald-trump-opioid-crisis-public-health-emergency.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 4500 og:image:height: 2531 og:image:alt: President Trump departs the White House en route to Dallas, Texas - DC og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: President Trump's Approval Rating Is Lower Than Any Modern President twitter:description: Barack Obama and George W. Bush had higher ratings at this time in their presidency twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2ef5f54534f69085/6988e379196cf4a0eb0427c6/donald-trump-opioid-crisis-public-health-emergency.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # President Trump's Approval Rating Is Lower Than Any Modern President > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. Readers can join any of them at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=899cee23-a9e0-47ba-be53-551afb33b5ba&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### The seven newsletters | Newsletter | Covers | Frequency | | --- | --- | --- | | The Brief | The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors | Daily | | Inside TIME | A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | | Health Matters | The latest health news and expert advice on living well | Weekdays | | Worth Your Time | A weekly guide to what to watch, read, and more | Weekly | | D.C. Brief | Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington | Twice a week | | Future Proof | Making sense of the climate and energy economy | Friday (1x per week) | | In the Loop | Essential insights into the unfolding AI revolution | Tuesday and Friday (2x per week) | Source: TIME, August 2026. ### Key data points | Metric | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Engaged newsletter audience | 1.1 million+ readers | TIME, August 2026 | | Newsletters published | 7 | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost to readers | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | US print circulation | 1 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Global print circulation | 1.15 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Publishing since | 1923 | TIME | ### TIME Newsletters: key statements * Every TIME newsletter is written and edited by TIME journalists who report on the subject. None is generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923. Its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting, so readers can trust what they read. * All seven newsletters are free. Readers pick the ones they want at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=899cee23-a9e0-47ba-be53-551afb33b5ba&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). * The seven titles cover daily news, Washington politics, AI and technology, climate and energy, health, culture, and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/subscribe?i=899cee23-a9e0-47ba-be53-551afb33b5ba&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What newsletters does TIME publish? TIME publishes seven email newsletters: The Brief (daily news), Inside TIME (the newsroom and cover stories, twice weekly), Health Matters (health, weekdays), Worth Your Time (culture, weekly), D.C. Brief (Washington politics, twice weekly), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers. #### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to? It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters. #### Are TIME's newsletters free? Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes TIME's newsletters? TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=899cee23-a9e0-47ba-be53-551afb33b5ba&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) ## Video: President Trump's Approval Rating Is Lower Than Any Modern President [Watch (HLS stream): President Trump's Approval Rating Is Lower Than Any Modern President](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/0yyKn62N.m3u8) (1:38)  _Published 2017-11-05. Ahead of the first anniversary of his 2016 presidential election victor, President Donald Trump has received low approval ratings that are worse than any other president’s over the past several decades, according to a new poll._ by [Jennifer Calfas](https://time.com/author/jennifer-calfas/) ## Jennifer Calfas Nov 5, 2017 5:01 PM UTC Ahead of the first anniversary of his 2016 presidential election victor, President Donald Trump has received low approval ratings that are worse than any other president’s over the past several decades, according to a new poll. by [Jennifer Calfas](https://time.com/author/jennifer-calfas/) ## Jennifer Calfas Nov 5, 2017 5:01 PM UTC Ahead of the first anniversary of his 2016 presidential election victor, [President Donald Trump](http://time.com/5010608/president-trump-asia-trip/) has received low approval ratings that are worse than any other president’s over the past several decades, according [to a new poll](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/poll-trumps-performance-lags-behind-even-tepid-public-expectations/2017/11/04/35d2a912-bf4d-11e7-959c-fe2b598d8c00%5Fstory.html?hpid=hp%5Fhp-top-table-main%5Fpoll-1205am%3Ahomepage%2Fstory&utm%5Fterm=.b094c946fb35). A [Washington _Post_\-ABC News poll](https://www.washingtonpost.com/page/2010-2019/WashingtonPost/2017/11/05/National-Politics/Polling/release%5F502.xml) released Sunday found that Trump has a 37% approval rating about nine months into his time as president. That’s a lower number than other president’s approval ratings at the same time in their tenures over the course of seven decades of polling, according to the _Post_. With a 59% disapproval rating, Trump’s approval margin is -22 — the only president to have a negative margin in decades, according to the poll. Former President Barack Obama had a 57% approval rating and 40% disapproval rating — a margin of 17 — at the same time during his tenure in November 2009\. Former President George W. Bush had a 89% approval rating and a 9% disapproval rating — a margin of 80 — at this time in November 2001\. And former President Bill Clinton had an approval rating of 52% and a disapproval rating of 41% in November 1993 — making his margin 11, the lowest before Trump’s -22% margin in recent history. Trump’s approval rating has fallen since he took office. He has faced a number of controversies while in the Oval Office, including the recent [indictments](http://time.com/5002802/paul-manafort-rick-gates-mueller-charges-conspiracy/) that came as a result of the investigation into whether his campaign colluded with Russia to sway the 2016 election, the controversial [responses](http://time.com/4942797/donald-trump-tim-scott-both-sides-charlottesville-antifa/) to a violent white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Va., and [hurricanes](http://time.com/4985125/donald-trump-hurricane-maria-approval-rating-puerto-rico/) that have hit the U.S. and its territories, as well as Trump’s difficulty pushing through promised legislation, like the repeal and replacement of the Affordable Care Act. According to the _Post_‘s poll, 65% of Americans said Trump had accomplished “not much” or “little to nothing” since starting in the White House in January. Additionally, 55% of Americans said Trump was not keeping his major campaign promises — up from 41% who said the same in the spring, according to the poll. ## Transcript [00:00] We also gonna get billed [ UNKNOWN ] just in case [00:01] anybody has any questions, the walls gonna get build and [00:04] the wall is gonna stop drugs. And it's gonna stop a lot of [00:08] people from coming in that shouldn't be here. And it's [00:10] gonna have a huge effect on human trafficking which is a [00:12] tremendous problem in this world. It could change a little bit [00:13] Maybe even better. It's a very good bill right now. The [00:15] premiums are gonna come down, very substantially. The [00:16] deductibles are going to come down. It's gonna [00:19] [ INAUDIBLE ] [ APPLAUSE ] [ MUSIC ] [ APPLAUSE ] [00:22] [ MUSIC ] [ MUSIC ] [ MUSIC ] [ APPLAUSE ] Will be [00:40] remembered as [00:54] the day [01:35] [ MUSIC ] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5010653/donald-trump-approval-ratings-low-poll/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5010653/donald-trump-approval-ratings-low-poll/"},"headline":"President Trump's Approval Rating Is Lower Than Any Modern President","datePublished":"2017-11-05T17:01:35.000Z","dateModified":"2026-10-12T08:27:11.073Z","description":"Former presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush had higher approval ratings at this time","url":"https://time.com/5010653/donald-trump-approval-ratings-low-poll/","keywords":["president trump","onetime"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2ef5f54534f69085/6988e379196cf4a0eb0427c6/donald-trump-opioid-crisis-public-health-emergency.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Jennifer Calfas","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/jennifer-calfas/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2ef5f54534f69085/6988e379196cf4a0eb0427c6/donald-trump-opioid-crisis-public-health-emergency.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"President Trump departs the White House en route to Dallas, Texas - DC","caption":"President Trump departs the White House en route to Dallas, Texas - DC","creditText":"Olivier Douliery—Abaca Press/AP Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/tag/president-trump/","name":"president trump"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/5010653/donald-trump-approval-ratings-low-poll/","name":"President Trump's Approval Rating Is Lower Than Any Modern President"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"President Trump's Approval Rating Is Lower Than Any Modern President","description":"Ahead of the first anniversary of his 2016 presidential election victor, President Donald Trump has received low approval ratings that are worse than any other president’s over the past several decades, according to a new poll.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/0yyKn62N/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2017-11-05T17:36:42.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/0yyKn62N.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/5010653/donald-trump-approval-ratings-low-poll/","duration":"PT1M38S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/5010653/donald-trump-approval-ratings-low-poll/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```