Donald Trump Second-Most Popular President of 21st Century, Poll Finds

Donald Trump now ranks as the second-most popular U.S. president of the 21st century, according to a new poll.

The latest Quantus Insights survey, conducted June 30-July 2 among 1,000 registered voters, shows that former President Barack Obama remains the most-favorably viewed U.S. president this century, but Trump ranks second, with 37 percent viewing him as their most favored president behind Obama's 47 percent.

George W. Bush trails Trump at 12 percent, while Joe Biden is viewed as the most favored president by 4 percent.

Quantus pollster Jason Corley told Newsweek that Donald Trump ranking second in 21st-century presidential favorability is not surprising, given that he has "won two national elections and continues to command deep loyalty from his base."

Corley noted that Trump's strong standing makes sense when compared with other recent presidents like George W. Bush, "who left office amid the financial crisis," and Joe Biden, "whose approval collapsed and who ultimately chose not to run again."

While Barack Obama still leads overall—"consistent with most long-term favorability data"—Corley said Trump's second-place position highlights his "enduring resonance with key voter blocs, especially white non-college voters, rural conservatives, and older men." He added that Trump "dominates the Republican Party to a degree unmatched by Bush or perhaps even Reagan in his era."

Quantus Insights polling is sponsored by right-wing news and commentary website Trending Politics and is rated as a Republican-leaning pollster. Quantus was also rated among the most accurate pollsters in swing states for 2024 by AtlasIntel and was placed in Activote's 20 Most Valuable Pollsters in 2024.

Why It Matters

The results highlight the extraordinary resilience of Trump's political brand, even as multiple recent polls show his day-to-day approval underwater. This unusual gap—low current approval but historically high comparative standing—reflects the deep partisan divides shaping U.S. politics.

What To Know

Obama led comfortably among most groups, with especially strong support from women (53 percent), Black voters (72 percent), college graduates (53 percent), younger voters under 30 (58 percent) and Democrats (85 percent).

Trump, however, came out ahead of Bush and Biden in overall standing, driven largely by overwhelming Republican backing and a significant lead among older and rural-leaning voters. Among Republicans, 75 percent named Trump as the 21st-century president they view most favorably, far surpassing Obama's 8 percent. He also outperformed Obama among voters aged 65 and older, with 50 percent to Obama's 36 percent.

White voters were evenly split, with 43 percent naming Trump and 41 percent Obama. Among men, Trump nearly matched Obama (43 percent to 40 percent), while Obama maintained a wide edge among women. Trump also showed notable strength with non-college voters (39 percent favor him) and independents, where he trailed Obama by just 11 percentage points (44 percent for Obama, 33 percent for Trump).

By contrast, Bush and Biden were far behind across every demographic, with support rarely climbing above the teens. Bush reached double digits mostly among older and non-college voters, while Biden's highest share was just 15 percent among independents.

Trump also ranks as one of the most popular world leaders in Morning Consult's poll, ranking seventh, below Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and the leaders of Argentina, Australia, Mexico and Switzerland, but above Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and the leaders of Poland, Belgium and Germany, among others.

But Trump is not as popular at home. Recent polls have shown Trump's approval ratings deep underwater, including the latest Quantus poll, which put his net approval rating at -2, while some polls have shown his ratings at a low point for his second term.

Trump's approval ratings initially dropped in early April after he announced his "Liberation Day" tariffs. Although they briefly rebounded, his recent actions, including deploying the National Guard and Marines to quell anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles and ordering airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites, have reignited public discontent.

Corley said the recent results reflected an "unsettled" national mood. More Americans believe the country is in decline (37 percent) than believe its best days are ahead (34 percent), while more than one in five think the nation's golden era is behind us. Corley added that pessimism is "particularly strong" among older voters and rural Americans, key parts of Trump's base.

"This is not mere partisanship. It reflects a deeper loss of faith in national direction, shared across ideological lines," he added.

Nonetheless, some recent polls have suggested Trump's approval rating has ticked up slightly after a period of steady decline. The latest Navigator Research poll found his approval rose to 45 percent from 43 percent in early June. A YouGov/Economist survey showed a modest increase to 42 percent, up from 40 percent. Morning Consult's poll found his approval at 47 percent, a slight improvement from 45 percent in May. Similarly, a Marist/NPR/PBS poll put Trump at 43 percent approval, up from 42 percent in April.

Corley pointed out the difference between Trump's historical favorability and his current job approval, explaining that "voters distinguish between past leadership identity and current performance judgments." He said Trump's favorability is rooted in "identity politics, grievance alignment, and movement loyalty," while approval ratings are "more reactive" and tied to current events.

"So in short: his favorability is being driven by voter identity, not just recent performance, and that's a key dynamic that pollsters and analysts often miss," Corley said.

Update 07/04/25, 10:30 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with comment from Jason Corley.