President Joe Biden’s approval rating dropped to 37%, only a point higher than it was just before he dropped out of the presidential race on July 21. The historic trends for lame-duck presidents’ approval rating is mixed.
By The Numbers:
Biden’s post-election approval rating decline was driven by independents. Before the election, Biden’s approval rating was 38% with independents. Today it’s 32%.
Half the twelve presidents since 1952 enjoyed an approval rating bounce following an election (Ford 1976, Reagan 1988, George H.W. Bush 1992, Clinton 2000, George W. Bush 2008, Obama 2016). Three had stable ratings (Eisenhower 1960, Johnson 1968 and Trump 2020), and three saw declines (Carter 1980, Trump 2020, Biden 2024).
Of presidents who lost their reelections, Carter had the most anemic approval rating – just 31%–following his defeat in 1980. Biden is not too far behind at 37% today. Even though Trump saw a post-election drop in 2020, his approval was still over 40%.
The Bottom Line: Biden could have spent his final weeks in office highlighting his legacy and overseeing a smooth transition, likely improving his approval number. It’s now almost certain his departure will be overshadowed now by his blanket pardon for Hunter and his number unlikely to improve in the short term.
