It seems like a lot of Americans aren’t too optimistic about how President Joe Biden’s time in office will be remembered. According to a fresh Gallup poll released recently, 54% of Americans believe Biden’s presidency will be seen as “below average” or “poor.” In fact, 37% of respondents think his term will go down as “poor.”
Only 26% of people think Biden’s presidency will be considered “average,” while 19% believe it will be remembered as “above average” or even outstanding. When we look at Biden’s overall score, it’s sitting at a pretty negative 35—placing him near the bottom of the list of recent presidents. The only one lower than him? Richard Nixon, famous for resigning in disgrace over the Watergate scandal over 50 years ago.
These views seem to line up with Biden’s long-standing approval ratings, which have stayed low for most of his presidency, especially after the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan back in 2021.
Republicans were the toughest critics in the poll, with 76% of them believing Biden’s presidency will be remembered poorly. Only 17% think he’ll be seen as “below average.” Even independents weren’t very kind, with 51% predicting Biden will be looked at negatively by future historians.
As for Democrats, 44% think Biden’s legacy will be seen as “outstanding” or “above average,” while 38% think it will be considered “average.” However, Biden’s favorability among Democrats (28 points) is notably lower than that of past Democratic presidents like Barack Obama or Bill Clinton.
Republicans also felt more critical of Biden compared to their views on Obama or Clinton. Biden’s -92 net positive rating among Republicans is a lot worse than Obama’s -48 and Clinton’s -38.
Interestingly, when Democrats were asked about former President Trump’s first term, they had pretty harsh views as well. A huge 85% of Democrats thought Trump’s time in office would be remembered as “poor” or “below average,” giving him a -79 net positive rating. But it’s worth noting that Trump’s ratings have improved since he left office, with a -4 rating in the latest poll, a big jump from the -32 rating he had back in 2021. His favorability has improved, especially among Republicans and independents.
This Gallup survey was conducted between December 2-18, with 1,003 American adults. The margin of error is around 4%. It’s important to note that the survey was taken before former President Jimmy Carter passed away in late December. Carter’s presidency had often been compared to Biden’s, especially given the challenges both faced.
So, what does this all mean? Well, it looks like Biden’s presidency may not be remembered too fondly by most Americans—at least, not at this point. But history has a funny way of changing its mind. Only time will tell how his legacy will unfold.