As U.S. President Donald Trump prepares to leave the White House, 47% of Americans say he will be remembered as one of the worst presidents in American history, according to the latest PBS NewsHour/NPR/Marist poll.
By comparison, Marist data from December 2016 shows 17% of Americans said President Barack Obama had been among the worst chief executives. Four years later, 83% of Democrats, 43% of independents and 13%of Republicans felt Trump had earned that title. And more than half of Americans - 57% - disapprove of the job he has done in office.
In addition, 16% of Americans overall, including a third of Republicans, think Trump has been one of the country’s best presidents, and roughly a third of Americans - 38% - approve of his performance over his tenure.
Shortly after Trump’s inauguration, 39% of Americans said they approved of the new president’s job so far in office, while another 11% said they weren’t sure. Half of the country disapproved of Trump. Today, that disapproval has only grown, and the number of Americans who are unsure has dwindled to 5%.
The data reflect how Trump has carved sharp divisions between Americans. In December 2016, 53% of Americans said that Trump would do more to divide the country than to unite it. In the latest poll, respondents were far more optimistic about Biden’s outreach, with 55 percent saying the former vice president and senator would do more for unity.
Trump’s most ardent supporters are Republican women, based on these survey data. Most of them - 85% - approve of the job Trump has done in office, compared to 79% of Republican men.
