Ukraine and Donald Trump’s Bad Case of Polling Envy
Trump’s job approval rating is below that of Ukraine’s president. Is that the reason why he wants to sell out Ukraine?
February 21, 2025
Donald Trump has falsely claimed that Volodymyr Zelenskyy had an approval rating of just 4%. A poll published this week showed that he enjoys 57% support at home — up from 52% in December.
During his first term, Donald Trump’s approval ratings were historically low compared to other modern presidents.
His average approval rating across his first term was 41% — the lowest of any president in the polling era.
Trump never reached a 50% approval rating at any point during his first presidency.
Early in his second presidency, Donald Trump only has a 45% job approval rating — 12 percentage points less than Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Donald Trump is also polling at the lowest level of any U.S. president since 1953 that early in his term.
Bill Clinton had the next lowest mid-February rating for a newly inaugurated president since 1953. At 51%, Clinton’s rating was six points higher than where Trump is now.
John F. Kennedy (72%) and Jimmy Carter (71%) were the highest rated U.S. presidents at this early point in their presidencies.
Moreover, Volodymyr Zelenskyy has done what Winston Churchill did in Britain in the Second World War — suspending elections while at war.
Sources: Kyiv International Institute of Sociology, Gallup, Reuters, The Telegraph
Takeaways
Trump’s job approval rating is below that of Ukraine’s president. Is that the reason why he wants to sell out Ukraine?
Trump has falsely claimed that Zelenskyy had an approval rating of just 4%. A poll published this week showed that he enjoys 57% support at home — up from 52% in December.
Trump’s average approval rating across his first term was 41% — the lowest of any president in the polling era.
Bill Clinton had the next lowest mid-February rating after Trump for a newly inaugurated president since 1953. At 51%, Clinton’s rating was six points higher than where Trump is now.
John F. Kennedy (72%) and Jimmy Carter (71%) were the highest rated U.S. presidents at this early point in their presidencies.
