# Biden now least popular president of all time, including Trump {Not Accurate, see below} **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [June 13, 2022, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biden-now-least-popular-president-of-all-time-including-trump-not-accurate-see-below/966117 "2022-06-13T18:32:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![SpacemanSpiff\_II](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e19adc/32.png) [@SpacemanSpiff\_II](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpacemanSpiff_II)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2022, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biden-now-least-popular-president-of-all-time-including-trump-not-accurate-see-below/966117/21 "2022-06-13T20:40:32Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > This is kind of…baffling. Sure, Biden has had his flaws but his presidency is by and large significantly better than Trump’s by most objective measures, but here he is in the ratings gutter. > > Meanwhile Trump can spew out 13,000 lies and have a higher approval rating? Trump was the political equivalent of a wartime president. Not a foreign war, a domestic political one. But it’s the same dynamic. People under siege rally around their leader. Trump was and is an extremely polarizing person. But it wasn’t just him under attack for his personal failings (though that was was part of it too). A good portion of the extreme hostility to Trump was towards his political views and statements which he shared with his voters. So they felt under attack too, and rallied around. Biden comes in for his share of hostility, but that’s within the bounds of normal politics these days (much like any of the past presidents in the last few decades, of either party). So Biden’s floor of support is lower than Trump’s is. Biden’s ceiling of support is also higher than Trump’s. IIRC, Biden’s high approval rating was higher than Trump’s ever was - I believe Trump never cracked 50%. But that’s the flip side of the same phenomenon. One reason Trump believes it’s impossible for him to have lost the election to Biden is that the crowds at his rallies were far larger than those at Biden’s. But that’s because the election was all about Trump, and not all about Biden. Trump had more fervent rally-attending supporters than Biden, but he also had more die hard opponents as well. Just that the latter are less likely to attend any rallies. I saw a quote from a poitical strategist a couple of months before the election which captured it: “this election is Trump versus Trump, and Trump is losing”. Leaving aside Biden’s actual successes and failures as president, the fact has been - for as long as I’ve been following politics - that presidents get credit or blame for “how things are going” regardless of the extent to which it’s connected to anything they might have done. Most voters, and in particular the low information voters who are likeliest to be swing voters, have a very rudimentary understanding of the complex forces which shape the economy or world politics. They have a vague idea that if a president is doing a good job it will work out and if he’s not then it won’t, and that’s about it. To some extent, politicians don’t deserve a whole lot of sympathy about this. Because all these people, when running for office - and president in particular - tend to claim that if they’re elected they will solve all the country’s problems. If they’re really limited in what they can do about the country’s problems, then they perhaps shouldn’t say otherwise upfront when they’re trying to get people to vote for them. OTOH, “everyone is doing it”. If a guy ran for president and said “hey, I’m going to level with you, a lot of the problems we have are intractable, and even to the extent that we make minor headway against those, it’s very possible that other intractable issues will arise”, and some other guy is running saying “if you vote for me, everything will be great”, then that first guy has very very little chance of getting elected. So it’s back to the people again. It’s as if a used car dealer decided to tell you all the problems that his cars have, while his competition is talking their cars up. That first guy is unlikely to make it, which is why there are few of such guys in business. Politicians are like used car salesmen in that sense. If they luck out and the tide rises while they’re in office, then they go down as great leaders. If the opposite happens, then they go down with the ship. At any rate, the bottom line is that Biden’s level of support is more malleable than Trump’s was, and with dissatisfaction in the way things are going, he takes a bigger hit. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2022, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biden-now-least-popular-president-of-all-time-including-trump-not-accurate-see-below/966117/22 "2022-06-13T20:56:46Z")
> [@SpacemanSpiff\_II](#): > > One reason Trump believes it’s impossible for him to have lost the election to Biden… Trump doesn’t believe that. He just says it because he’s a liar and he knows that his cultists lack critical thinking skills. He’s a con man who has always been a con man and he’s found the easiest marks yet, so he lies to them. Anything other than “Trump is a liar” is falling victim to his con. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2022, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biden-now-least-popular-president-of-all-time-including-trump-not-accurate-see-below/966117/23 "2022-06-13T21:11:29Z")
People are stupid. Most of them probably don’t remember enough, or never absorbed enough Civics to realize that the President is not some sort of latter-day dictator/king/emperor who has very limited power to actually DO stuff independent of Congress. Nor do they realize that a lot of economic stuff is almost entirely outside of what Presidents can actually affect. I mean, they can release oil from the SPL, but outside of that everything’s pretty much outside his control. He can’t control global oil prices, he can’t control what retailers charge for things, etc… On the flip side, they give him credit where it isn’t due when things are good as well. Clinton didn’t make the 1992-2000 time period an economically advantageous one any more than Bush made the 2008 recession happen. ---
**Author:** ![Crane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crane/32/3495_2.png) [@Crane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crane)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2022, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biden-now-least-popular-president-of-all-time-including-trump-not-accurate-see-below/966117/24 "2022-06-13T21:24:00Z")
What we have here is a quantifying error. You can equate: I did not approve of all Trump’s policies as President I do not approve of all Biden’s policies as President You cannot equate: Biden is a moderate politician who has been unable to enact the policies I support. Trump is a mindless oaf who accomplished nothing and was an embarrassment to the office ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2022, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biden-now-least-popular-president-of-all-time-including-trump-not-accurate-see-below/966117/25 "2022-06-13T21:26:24Z")
If you can cite this, I will append the title. ---
**Author:** ![DeadTreasSecretaries](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/deadtreassecretaries/32/4817_2.png) [@DeadTreasSecretaries](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadTreasSecretaries)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2022, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biden-now-least-popular-president-of-all-time-including-trump-not-accurate-see-below/966117/26 "2022-06-13T21:33:02Z")
> **[Bush Job Approval at 25%, His Lowest Yet](https://news.gallup.com/poll/110980/bush-job-approval-25-lowest-yet.aspx)** > > President Bush’s job approval rating is at 25% in the latest Oct. 3-5 Gallup Poll, the lowest of the Bush administration, and only three percentage points above the lowest presidential approval rating in Gallup Poll history. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2022, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biden-now-least-popular-president-of-all-time-including-trump-not-accurate-see-below/966117/27 "2022-06-13T21:36:08Z")
That will work, title will be updated, I have at least a temporary update in place. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2022, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biden-now-least-popular-president-of-all-time-including-trump-not-accurate-see-below/966117/28 "2022-06-13T21:43:30Z")
Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2022, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biden-now-least-popular-president-of-all-time-including-trump-not-accurate-see-below/966117/29 "2022-06-13T21:45:19Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Just don’t invade Iraq, or don’t spew out thousands of absurd statements - be nothing but a decent, status-quo, don’t-rock-the-boat POTUS and you’re golden. In other words, don’t be a Republican. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2022, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biden-now-least-popular-president-of-all-time-including-trump-not-accurate-see-below/966117/30 "2022-06-13T21:57:31Z")
Even the link in the OP shows several presidents with higher disapproval ratings including **Reagan** , Trump, George HW Bush, and Carter. Not sure how they came to the conclusion they did when the data doesn’t look that way. There could be some qualifiers that were omitted such as “at this point in his presidency”… ---
**Author:** ![DeadTreasSecretaries](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/deadtreassecretaries/32/4817_2.png) [@DeadTreasSecretaries](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadTreasSecretaries)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2022, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biden-now-least-popular-president-of-all-time-including-trump-not-accurate-see-below/966117/31 "2022-06-13T22:01:27Z")
It looks like Gerald Ford had a slightly lower approval rating at the exact week into his presidency that this data point was taken for Biden. I think this whole exercise is a bit silly, but at least be silly and factual (not directed at you wguy). ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2022, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biden-now-least-popular-president-of-all-time-including-trump-not-accurate-see-below/966117/32 "2022-06-13T22:03:13Z")
AFAIK, the conclusion was purely from the OP. The cite says nothing of the sort. ---
**Author:** ![Lance\_Turbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lance_turbo/32/6156_2.png) [@Lance\_Turbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lance_Turbo)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2022, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biden-now-least-popular-president-of-all-time-including-trump-not-accurate-see-below/966117/33 "2022-06-13T22:48:33Z")
> [@Projammer](#): > > I’m thinking the Democrats should be very worried about November. Let me know where you’d like me to send your participation trophy. ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2022, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biden-now-least-popular-president-of-all-time-including-trump-not-accurate-see-below/966117/34 "2022-06-13T22:57:29Z")
> [@AlsoNamedBort](#): > > I’d be curious to see the breakdown by party. When Trump was at his lowest, his approval among Republicans was still high. But with Biden, you’re going to have Democrats also disapproving him for separate reasons from Republicans. Doesn’t mean they’re going to vote for a Republican in an election though, biggest concern would be they just stay home. Some polls have the breakdown you want, and you can report back on it. But also [consider this](https://www.governing.com/now/you-dont-need-to-be-a-fortune-teller-signs-point-to-gop-sweep-this-year): > [@](#): > > Swing voters have swung hard against Biden. His net approval rating among independents is roughly minus 20. That’s a group he carried in 2020 by 13 points, according to exit polls. There’s no certainty of what happens in November, but Democrats are currently polling poorly. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2022, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biden-now-least-popular-president-of-all-time-including-trump-not-accurate-see-below/966117/35 "2022-06-13T23:03:14Z")
“Swing voters” are not at all the same thing as “independents”, and mostly don’t even exist any more. And the “independents” who currently disapprove of him aren’t necessarily the same group who he carried in 2020. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2022, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biden-now-least-popular-president-of-all-time-including-trump-not-accurate-see-below/966117/36 "2022-06-13T23:21:47Z")
Prediction: The November elections will go to whichever party lies the most, and tells voters that they will magically lower gas prices, stop the war in Ukraine by just “acting tough” to Putin, bring back good old manufacturing and coal jobs, and create a massive government department to stop socialism. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Anconia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2022, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biden-now-least-popular-president-of-all-time-including-trump-not-accurate-see-below/966117/37 "2022-06-13T23:29:30Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > When you have the first significant inflation this country has seen in what, over 30 years (maybe more) Try 40 years. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2022, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biden-now-least-popular-president-of-all-time-including-trump-not-accurate-see-below/966117/38 "2022-06-14T00:56:48Z")
In any case, Biden booted Trump the fuck out of the White House. They can never take that away from him. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2022, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biden-now-least-popular-president-of-all-time-including-trump-not-accurate-see-below/966117/39 "2022-06-14T04:35:03Z")
No. I think Tan the Conman actually believes it’s imossible for him to have lost the election _because_ he believes the number of his cultists is large enough to have outvoted his opponent. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2022, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biden-now-least-popular-president-of-all-time-including-trump-not-accurate-see-below/966117/40 "2022-06-15T20:49:16Z")
Well, i disagree with that. Trump is just a liar. There aren’t any levels or depth to this. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biden-now-least-popular-president-of-all-time-including-trump-not-accurate-see-below/966117.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biden-now-least-popular-president-of-all-time-including-trump-not-accurate-see-below/966117.md?page=3)