A new Gallup poll released last week shows President Trump’s approval rating steady despite the Mueller report. In fact, at 46 percent, it’s an all-time high for him at Gallup.
Approval of President Donald Trump’s job performance remains relatively high for him following the release of special counsel Robert Mueller’s report in late March, and amid a flurry of positive economic news. After jumping from 39% in early March to 45% in the first half of April, Trump’s approval rating held at 46% in a new Gallup poll conducted April 17-30.
According to the poll, Trump’s approval is up with both Republicans and Democrats. “Trump’s 91% approval rating among Republicans in the latest poll is on the high end for this group, nearly matching the record high of 92% from November of last year. Democrats’ ratings of Trump remain low but relatively high for this group — the latest 12% he receives from Democrats matches their previous high from April 2017.”
Rasmussen, which has generally shown President Trump polling higher than most other polls, reacted to the poll in a tweet:
So, is @Gallup now "republican-leaning" also?https://t.co/T5uN9GidfV pic.twitter.com/mcDVJteZVd
— Rasmussen Reports (@Rasmussen_Poll) May 5, 2019
Gallup suggests that Trump’s polling numbers, now having gone back to a high-point of his term, is primarily for two reasons: “Perceptions that claims of any wrongdoing in the 2016 election have been squelched, and some important economic improvements. As such, these two factors will also likely determine his 2020 reelection potential.”
Many will point out that the magic number for a president seeking reelection to feel confident of victory is 50 percent or higher—and Gallup is often considered the gold standard of polling. In the Gallup poll, Trump’s approval has been with 35 to 46 percent throughout his presidency—a relatively small range. While for many this would suggest Trump is vulnerable, there are a few silver linings for Trump.
For starters, Trump’s most recent Gallup approval rating is actually higher than Barack Obama’s at the same point in his presidency—44 percent in April 2011. According to Real Clear Politics, Obama’s job average approval for both of his terms was less than 50 percent—despite the fact Obama began his presidency at a historically high approval rating of 68 percent, according to Gallup.
If the economy remains strong, it is easy to believe that Trump’s poll numbers will go even higher.
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Matt Margolis is the author of The Scandalous Presidency of Barack Obama and the bestselling The Worst President in History: The Legacy of Barack Obama. His new book, Trumping Obama: How President Trump Saved Us From Barack Obama’s Legacy, will be published in July 2019. You can follow Matt on Twitter @MattMargolis
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