Poll: Pluralities Deem Trump Both the ‘Best’ and ‘Worst’ of Recent Presidents

Pluralities deem former President Donald Trump both the “best” and “worst” of recent presidents, a Rasmussen Reports survey released Monday found.

The survey, released on Presidents Day, asked, “Which one of the five most recent presidents has been the best president?” It listed several past presidents, including Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and current commander-in-chief Joe Biden. 

A plurality, 36 percent, identified Trump as the “best” president” as of late, followed by Obama (30 percent) and Bush (nine percent). The remaining two, Clinton and Biden, garnered eight percent. 

Opinions vary on party lines, as most Democrats, 52 percent, identified Obama as the best recent president. Just 17 percent said the same of Biden. 

Sixty-two percent of Republicans chose Trump as the best recent president — a sentiment shared by a plurality of independents — 39 percent. 

The survey then asked which of those five presidents respondents consider the “worst.” Forty-one percent chose Trump, followed by Biden with 39 percent and Obama with five percent. 

Once again, opinions were divided along party lines, as 70 percent of Democrats chose Trump, while 64 percent of Republicans chose Biden. Notably, a plurality, 41 percent, of independents identified Biden as the worst recent president, followed by Trump with 37 percent.

Per Rasmussen Reports:

Forty percent (40%) of whites, 21% of blacks and 35% of other minorities pick Trump as the best of the five most recent presidents. Twenty-three percent (23%) of whites, 55% of blacks and 36% of other minorities name Obama as best. Blacks are most likely to name Trump as the worst of recent presidents.

Government employees are less likely than private sector workers to consider Trump the best president of the past 30 years.

The survey was taken February 13-15, 2022, among 1,000 U.S. adults and has a +/- 3 percent margin of error. 

The survey comes as Trump continues to dominate in hypothetical 2024 presidential primary polls, besting his closest potential challenger, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, by double digits in the latest Rasmussen Reports national poll, as well as the most recent Harvard/Caps Harris survey.

Trump is staying active as the first candidate to formally jump in the presidential ring, visiting East Palestine, Ohio — where a fiery train derailment and subsequent release of toxic chemicals devastated the community — this week.