Trump’s Favorability Rating Reaches the Highest Since 2022

(Bloomberg) -- The average favorable rating for Donald Trump hit its highest level since before the 2022 midterm elections, as the former president marches toward a likely November rematch against a less popular Joe Biden.  

The RealClearPolitics average of polls shows 42% of voters say they have a favorable opinion of Trump, up from an all-time low of 36% in December 2022. He’s now viewed better than Biden, whose poll numbers soared over Trump early in his presidency. Around 40% have a favorable opinion of Biden.

The percentage of voters with a favorable opinion can show the strength of a candidate’s brand, and generally mirror national election polls: Trump now leads Biden by 2 percentage points in a head-to-head matchup, according to the RealClearPolitics average.

The favorable poll numbers can also show how much room a candidate has to grow in their support at the ballot box. 

But the combined ratings of the two major candidates are near historic lows at 82% — leaving at least 18% of voters unhappy with both candidates. These so-called “double haters” could help to sway the election — either by staying home or seeking out an independent candidate like Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

The share of voters with a favorable opinion of both Biden and Trump is even smaller, at about 4%, according to a Bloomberg News/Morning Consult poll of swing-state voters.

(Updates to account for voters with a favorable opinion of both candidates in last paragraph)

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