How Does Trump's Approval Ratings Compare With Obama's During Their Reelection Years?

President Trump may be facing an uphill reelection battle amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, but his predecessor, Barack Obama, also faced a grueling reelection fight. Both incumbent leaders had tepid approval ratings during their reelection campaigns.

In 2012, Obama’s lowest approval rating from January to the end of June was 45%, while his highest approval rating in that same span was 48%. During that same time span in 2012, Obama’s highest disapproval rating was 48%, while his lowest disapproval rating was 44%.

Obama’s approval ratings were suffering due to the slow growth of the economy in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis. His top legislative achievement, the Affordable Care Act, drew scorn from conservative Republicans and led to the rise of the Tea Party contingent of the GOP. The top Republican presidential candidate, Mitt Romney, had attempted to paint Obama as anti-business and claimed he could do a better job of rejuvenating economic growth.

Trump’s approval ratings have dropped this year amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Trump’s lowest approval rating from January to the end of June was 38% approval, while his highest approval rating during that span was 49%, coming off his February acquittal of charges in the Senate impeachment trial.

A clear difference between Obama and Trump can be seen in their disapproval ratings. Trump’s highest disapproval rating this year was 57%, with his lowest disapproval rating coming in at 45%. The most recent Gallup poll taken from June 8 to June 30 shows Trump’s approval rating at 38%, with his disapproval standing at 57%.

Trump has been frequently criticized for downplaying the coronavirus, as cases surge across the country. The U.S. has had the most cases of the virus in the world, while the unemployment rate has surged to double digits due to the impact of the virus. Trump’s controversial threat to deploy the military to quell protests in the wake of George Floyd’s death in May could have also impacted his approval rating.

Although Obama managed to win a second term, Trump might not be so lucky if the nation’s public health and economic situation do not drastically improve by Nov. 3. The latest Economist/YouGov poll shows Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden at 49% support, with Trump at 40%.