As the 2024 U.S. presidential election approaches in about four months, a quarter of Americans have unfavorable views towards both major party candidates – President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump.
This graphic shows the percentage of people who have had unfavorable views of both candidates since the 1988 presidential election.
Biden, Trump Least-Liked Since 1988
Democrat Joe Biden and Republican Donald Trump are the least-liked pair of major party presidential candidates in at least three decades.
Around 25% of the interviewees hold unfavorable views of both candidates, surpassing the 20% registered in 2016 when Trump ran against former U.S. Secretary of State, senator, and first lady Hillary Clinton. It is also nearly twice as high as four years ago, when 13% of Americans expressed unfavorable opinions of both Biden and Trump.
| Year | % Unfavorable Views in May/June | Candidates |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | 5% | H.W. Bush (R) vs. Dukakis (D) |
| 1992 | 13% | H.W. Bush (R) vs. B. Clinton (D) |
| 1996 | 9% | Dole (R) vs. B. Clinton (D) |
| 2000 | 6% | G.W. Bush (R) vs. Gore (D) |
| 2004 | 6% | G.W. Bush (R) vs. Kerry (D) |
| 2008 | 13% | McCain (R) vs. Obama (D) |
| 2012 | 11% | Romney (R) vs. Obama (D) |
| 2016 | 20% | Trump (R) vs. H. Clinton (D) |
| 2020 | 13% | Trump (R) vs. Biden (D) |
| 2024 | 25% | Trump (R) vs. Biden (D) |
According to the 2024 survey, 39% of Americans view Trump favorably, while 37% have a favorable opinion of Biden. Trump’s ratings are roughly the same as they were at about the same point in 2016 (37% favorable) but lower than in 2020 (42%). Biden’s ratings are lower than they were at this point in 2020 (46% favorable).
Credit: Visual Capitalist
