US Trends

how popular is joe biden

Joe Biden is currently more unpopular than popular in national polls, but he still retains strong support among Democrats and many anti-Trump voters.

How popular is Joe Biden? (Quick Scoop)

Big picture: Not very popular right now

  • Multiple national polls show Joe Biden’s job approval and favorability below 40% in early 2025–2026, with disapproval in the mid‑50s or higher.
  • A CNN poll as he left office found only 36% of adults approved of his performance, matching the lowest point of his presidency.
  • A long‑running Civiqs tracker (through January 8, 2026) shows 37% favorable, 56% unfavorable, 7% unsure among registered voters.

In simple terms: Biden is more disliked than liked nationally right now, but he still has a sizeable, loyal base.

Party breakdown: Who still likes him?

  • Among Democrats , Biden’s approval was about 71% at the end of his term—still a solid majority, but the lowest he had ever recorded within his own party in CNN’s polling.
  • Among independents , his approval dropped to around 31% , which is where a lot of his overall weakness comes from.
  • Among Republicans , approval was just 8% , and he rarely broke double digits with GOP voters at any point in his presidency.

Snapshot in HTML table

html

<table>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>Group</th>
      <th>Approx. approval / favorable</th>
      <th>Key takeaway</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>Democrats</td>
      <td>~71% approve (end of term)[web:1]</td>
      <td>Still like him overall, but enthusiasm has slipped.[web:1]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Independents</td>
      <td>~31% approve[web:1]</td>
      <td>Big source of his unpopularity; many cooled on him over time.[web:1][web:10]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Republicans</td>
      <td>~8% approve[web:1]</td>
      <td>Extremely unpopular; near-total partisan opposition.[web:1]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>All registered voters</td>
      <td>37% favorable, 56% unfavorable, 7% unsure (Jan 2026)[web:9]</td>
      <td>Overall net-negative image nationwide.[web:9]</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

How his popularity changed over time

  • Early in his term, Biden started in the low‑ to mid‑50s approval, then steadily declined as concerns about inflation, immigration, and the economy grew.
  • By his second and third years, several analyses described his net approval as deeply negative and stuck in that range , with only brief bumps.
  • A CNN end‑of‑term poll showed his approval at 36% , with similarly low numbers on immigration, foreign policy, and the economy (roughly low‑30s on those issues).

This slow slide is similar to other modern presidents: early “honeymoon,” then a long grind of partisan polarization and voter frustration.

Issue areas: Where is he weakest?

  • On the economy , only about 33% approved of his handling as he left office, and just 28% of Americans said the economy was in good shape.
  • On immigration , his approval was even worse, around 31%.
  • Even in his “better” areas—protecting democracy, environment, health care—less than half approved; for example, 46% on democracy, 44% on the environment, 43% on health care.
  • Broader measures of optimism and life satisfaction fell sharply during and after his term, especially among Democrats and some minority groups, which further hurts how people remember him.

So his unpopularity isn’t just vibes; it ties closely to how people feel about prices, economic security, and national direction.

Today’s twist: Biden vs. Trump in hindsight

  • In 2026, with Donald Trump back in office, some polling shows voters now saying Biden was the better president on balance, even though Biden himself remained unpopular.
  • Trump’s own approval numbers have dropped rapidly, and his net rating on the economy is now far below where it was in his first term, which makes Biden look less bad in comparison to some voters.

So Biden is not “popular” in an absolute sense, but the contrast with Trump’s current troubles has slightly improved how some people view his time in office.

Mini forum-style take: Different viewpoints

“He was never exciting, but he was stable. People only appreciate that now that Trump is back and chaos is a daily thing again.”

“Everything got too expensive under Biden. I don’t care what economists say about inflation charts—my grocery bill is what I remember.”

“I didn’t love him, but he tried to respect institutions and democracy. That matters to me more in hindsight.”

Common viewpoints you’ll see online and in forums:

  1. The reluctant supporter
    • Didn’t love Biden but voted for him mainly to block Trump.
    • Still thinks he was “better than the alternative,” even while criticizing his age and communication style.
  1. The disappointed Democrat
    • Started hopeful in 2020–2021, but soured as inflation hit and big legislative promises stalled.
    • Still approves of him more than Trump but is much less enthusiastic than four years ago.
  1. The hardened opponent
    • Saw him as weak on the economy and immigration from the start.
    • Rates his presidency as a failure regardless of measured inflation trends or employment data.

SEO-style meta description

Joe Biden’s popularity has dropped to the mid‑30s approval and high‑30s favorability range in recent polling, with strong partisan splits and growing nostalgia comparisons to Donald Trump’s current term.

TL;DR: Joe Biden is not very popular at the moment: around one‑third of Americans view him favorably, a clear majority view him unfavorably, Democrats still mostly back him, independents have drifted away, and some voters are only now rethinking him in light of Donald Trump’s return to office.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.