As his term comes to an end, President Biden’s approval ratings are in the tank, multiple surveys show, with the latest Emerson College Polling confirming that trend.
In Emerson’s first national survey of 2025, only 37 percent of Americans approve of the job he’s doing, while 52 percent disapprove.
“President Biden closes his term with an approval rating 12 points lower than the first Emerson national poll in 2021 that measured the president’s approval, at 49%,” Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling, said in a statement. “Biden ends with a 70% approval among his base of Democratic voters, a 16-point drop since the 2021 poll, 33% among independents, a two-point drop, and 10% among Republican voters, a 10-point decrease.”
Meanwhile, there is one area of agreement among a majority of Democrats (62 percent), Republicans (70 percent), and Independents (69 percent): the country is on the wrong track.
Sixty-seven percent of voters believe the U.S. is heading in the wrong direction, compared to 54 percent who said the same when Biden’s term began.
The latest survey also showed 52 percent of voters have a favorable opinion of President-elect Trump, one point higher than Biden’s favorability rating. Forty-two percent of voters, meanwhile, have an unfavorable opinion of the incoming president compared to 51 percent who view the 46th president unfavorably.
Other findings include:
Regarding the recent debate over whether the United States should add more states or territories, or remain as is, 67% support keeping the US as is, while 20% think it should. Thirteen percent are neutral.
A plurality (44%) of voters support the federal government’s blocking of the takeover of US Steel by Nippon Steel, while 19% oppose the decision and 37% are unsure.
Among those following the wildfires in California somewhat or very closely, 30% approve of how Governor Newsom has been handling the response, 42% disapprove, and 28% are neutral.
“The Governor’s approval highlights sharp partisan divides in the perception of response: 61% of Republicans and 43% of independents disapprove of Governor Newsom’s response to the wildfires while 49% of Democrats approve.”
A majority of voters (58%) think climate change has contributed to the wildfires, while 42% think it has not.
“Young voters are most likely to believe climate change has contributed to the wildfires in California, at 74% among voters under 30, compared to 70% of those in their 30s, 61% in their 40s, 48% of those in their 50s, and increasing back to 53% of voters 70 and older.” (Emerson College Polling)
NATIONAL POLL
— Emerson College Polling (@EmersonPolling) January 14, 2025
Do you think the US should add more states/territories, or keep it as is?
20% add more
67% keep as is
13% unsurehttps://t.co/MWti07vdCn