Donald Trump’s New Approval Numbers Will Have Barack Obama and George Bush Feasting on a Plate of Copium
President Donald Trump recently received new approval ratings that show he is doing slightly better with the public at this stage of his presidency than Barack Obama and George W. Bush were at the same point in their terms. The comparison looks at March 5 of the second year of a president’s second term, which is often a difficult time politically because public support usually drops after several years in office.
According to polling averages from RealClearPolitics, Trump currently has an approval rating of about 43.3 percent. At the same point in his presidency, Obama’s approval rating was around 42.5 percent, while Bush’s was about 38.7 percent. These numbers are not especially high for any president, but they show that Trump’s approval is still slightly stronger than Obama’s and clearly higher than Bush’s was at that time.
People who only follow large national news outlets might not expect this, because Trump often receives very negative coverage in the media. Many reports and commentary about his presidency focus heavily on criticism and controversy, which can make it seem like public support for him is extremely low. However, the polling numbers suggest that public opinion is more balanced than that impression might suggest.
Support for Trump is especially strong among members of his own party. Data analyst Harry Enten from CNN has pointed out that Republican voters currently support Trump at a higher level than supporters of many past presidents supported them at a similar stage in their time in office. This strong backing from Republican voters plays a major role in keeping his overall approval rating steady even when he faces criticism from political opponents and the media.
Another point sometimes raised in this discussion is the different political environments that each president faced. After the September 11 attacks, Bush experienced a period of strong national unity and positive press coverage, especially in the early years of his presidency. Obama also received largely positive media attention for much of his time in office, with many commentators focusing on his historic election and policy agenda.
Trump’s political environment has been much more confrontational. Since he first ran for president in 2015, much of the media coverage surrounding him has been highly critical. His presidency has also included intense political battles, investigations, court cases, and ongoing arguments about election rules and political power. Supporters often argue that these pressures would normally push a president’s approval ratings much lower.
Despite this, Trump has continued to maintain a stable base of supporters, particularly among Republicans. Many voters in his party strongly approve of his policies and leadership style, which helps keep his overall numbers from dropping further.
In short, the latest polling shows that Trump’s approval rating at this stage of his presidency is slightly higher than Obama’s and noticeably higher than Bush’s was at the same point. While none of the presidents had particularly strong numbers during this period of their terms, the comparison highlights that Trump’s level of public support remains significant, especially within his own political party.
