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POPULARITY CONTEST

What is Joe Biden’s approval rating?

FORMER Vice President Joe Biden became the 46th President of the United States on January 20, 2021.

As he prepares for his upcoming reelection campaign, voters are curious to know what his approval rating has been so far.

President Joe Biden has been in office since January 2021
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President Joe Biden has been in office since January 2021Credit: AP

What is Joe Biden's approval rating?

Since assuming office, Biden's approval rating has fluctuated several times.

As of May 10, 2023, only 40 percent of Americans approve of the current president, which is close to his lowest level, according to .

The statistics are based on a three-day poll and showed that most Americans are unhappy with his handling of immigration and inflation.

While this number might seem low, it is actually an improvement from the 39 percent approval rating he had the month prior.

What was Donald Trump's approval rating at this time?

Biden became president after he defeated Donald Trump in the 2020 election.

While in office, Trump, who was impeached twice, also saw various approval ratings throughout the course of his presidency.

At this time in Trump's presidency, he saw the same approval rating as Biden.

Data from shows that in May 2019, Trump had a 40 percent approval rating, and a 55 percent disapproval rating, with four percent stating they don't have an opinion.

Trump's term average was 41 percent with a high point of 49 percent (2020) and a low point of 34 percent (2021), according to Gallup.

His approval rating never went above 50 percent, but Biden's has multiple times.

Additional data from shows that Biden had approval ratings between 50-57 percent from January to July 2021.

Is Joe Biden's approval rating better than George W. Bush or Barack Obama's?

George W. Bush was the 43rd president of the United States.

He served from 2001 to 2009 as a member of the Republican Party.

At this time in Bush's presidency, he had an approval rating between 66 and 69 percent, according to .

Barack Obama, who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017 as a member of the Democratic Party had similar ratings to Biden at this time in his presidency.

Data from shows that he had an approval rating of 49 percent.

Joe Biden's approval rating is 40 percent
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Joe Biden's approval rating is 40 percentCredit: AP

How are approval ratings calculated?

Pollsters use an empirically tested, weighted average to calculate a President's approval rating.

In terms of survey conducted in August, this is done by scouring through every national poll of the President's approval rating and weighing them according to their sample size – broader sample size equals greater weighing – the reputation of surveyors, and how frequently they're conducted.

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Pollsters who conduct more than one poll on the same topic in 20 days get penalized.

An average is then calculated and sold on the President's approval rating. Polls are typically conducted weekly.

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