Biden Beats Trump on Job Performance in Latest National Polls

A trio of new national polls released this week shows more Americans now believe Joe Biden did a better job as president than Donald Trump, highlighting an unusual shift in voter sentiment one year into Trump’s current term.

These surveys — from Harvard CAPS/Harris, Rasmussen Reports, and YouGov/Economist — all found a plurality or majority of respondents rate Trump’s job performance as worse than Biden’s, according to polling results published this week.

The early tension is clear: Rasmussen, the pollster Trump often cites, reported 48% of likely voters say Biden did a better job, while 40% picked Trump on the same question. This aligns with the Harvard poll’s finding that 51% view Trump’s performance as worse than Biden’s.

Another survey from YouGov and The Economist found 46% saying Trump’s work is worse than Biden’s, compared with 40% saying Trump is doing better.

The broader landscape of presidential approval paints a similar picture: other recent polls show Trump’s overall job approval remains underwater, and significant shares of Americans disapprove of his handling of key issues like the economy and immigration.

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As political strategist Chris D. Jackson put it: “Three polls in one week all say the same thing. A majority of Americans believe Joe Biden was a better president than Donald Trump.”

Why this matters: These results arrive less than a year before the 2026 midterm elections, suggesting potential voter dissatisfaction that could influence congressional races and party strategies.

What happens next: More polling releases are expected in the coming weeks as campaigns ramp up messaging and analysts parse whether this trend tightens or fades as voters weigh top-of-mind issues like the economy and foreign policy.

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