Gallup will no longer conduct polling on presidential job approval, ending a practice that dates back to the Franklin Delano Roosevelt administration.
The research firm confirmed it is shifting away from approval ratings and will instead focus on broader issue-based analytics and policy research.
Strategic shift in focus
Gallup described the move as part of a larger realignment of its public work.
“We’re focused on providing analytics that inform and drive meaningful change,” spokesman Justin McCarthy told The New York Times.
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Gallup stopped conducting presidential horse-race polling in 2015, ending surveys that measured which candidate was leading in election cycles.
In a statement to The Hill, a spokesman said the change is “art of a broader, ongoing effort to align all of Gallup’s public work with its mission,” and emphasized the firm’s commitment to independent research. When asked whether the White House or administration officials weighed in ahead of the decision, Gallup said the shift was “solely based on Gallup’s research goals and priorities.”
In a separate email to USA Today, the company noted that “leadership ratings have been part of Gallup’s history,” but added that “the context around these measures has changed.”
Founded in 1935 by George Gallup, the organization built a reputation for its live, telephone-based surveys — a method that became less common as polling moved online.
Gallup’s presidential approval ratings have long served as a benchmark for news organizations, political analysts and historians tracking shifts in public opinion. Its Presidential Job Approval Center, which remains online, charts ratings dating back to the Truman administration.
Final Trump approval numbers
Gallup’s final presidential approval survey was released in December. It put President Donald Trump’s approval rating at 36% — the second consecutive month at that level and the lowest of his second term, according to Gallup.
The same survey found just 17% of respondents approved of the job Congress was doing. Approval stood at 24% among Democrats and 29% among Republicans.
Trump’s approval rating peaked at 47% shortly after returning to office in February of 2025.
Polling landscape continues
Gallup’s exit does not leave a vacuum in presidential polling. Morning Consult, Harvard-Harris, The Wall Street Journal, Economist/YouGov and others continue to track approval and favorability. RealClearPolitics aggregates many of those surveys for comparison.
Gallup said it will continue to release research through its Social Series, Quarterly Business Review and World Poll, among other products.
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