In a recent televised interview on CNBC, House Speaker Mike Johnson made a bold and attention-grabbing statement about former President Donald Trump’s popularity. Speaking with confidence, Johnson claimed, “There’s never been a president that high,” referring to what he described as a 90 percent approval rating for Trump.
While the comment was met with approval from Trump loyalists, public polling data paints a very different picture, raising questions about how Speaker Johnson arrived at that figure — and whether it’s accurate when viewed across the entire American electorate.
According to a CNN poll released on July 17, only 42% of Americans say they support Donald Trump. More tellingly, just 37% believe he sets the right goals for the country, a metric commonly used to gauge trust in a leader’s agenda. These numbers indicate that while Trump retains a strong base, his approval among the broader public remains sharply divided.
Other major polling sources reinforce this narrative. A Reuters/Ipsos survey conducted around the same time found that 41% of registered voters support the policies of the Trump administration. Meanwhile, The Economist/YouGov poll reported that 55% of respondents disapprove of Trump, highlighting a significant level of resistance to his potential return to office.
Among these figures, Rasmussen Reports offered a more favorable perspective for Trump. Known for its right-leaning tendencies and frequent focus on Republican voters, Rasmussen found that 50% of likely U.S. voters approve of Trump’s performance—the highest figure among the major polling firms, but still a far cry from the 90% claim.
So where does Speaker Johnson’s 90% figure come from?
Digging deeper into the CNN poll reveals the likely answer: among Republican voters, Trump continues to dominate. The poll showed that 88% of Republicans express approval of the former president—a number Johnson appears to have rounded up to 90% when referencing Trump’s support base. But that level of support is limited to within the GOP, not among the general U.S. population.
By presenting that internal Republican approval figure as a nationwide statistic, Johnson’s statement becomes misleading, whether intentionally or not. It suggests overwhelming national support when, in reality, Trump’s approval remains highly partisan and polarized.
For historical context, Trump’s popularity has consistently trailed behind that of many of his predecessors. In their respective presidencies, Bill Clinton reached a high of 66%, Barack Obama peaked at 59%, and Ronald Reagan hit 63% approval at various points during their time in office. Even George W. Bush, despite political controversies, soared to 90% approval briefly after the 9/11 attacks — the only president in modern polling history to reach that mark among the general population.
On the flip side, Richard Nixon holds the record for the lowest presidential approval rating, plummeting to 24%during the Watergate scandal, a level that reflected widespread disillusionment.
Trump, while never hitting such low numbers, also failed to achieve the kind of post-election bounce or bipartisan support often seen during a president’s “honeymoon” period. In fact, during his first 100 days in office, Trump held the lowest approval rating of any U.S. president in the last six decades, signaling the beginning of a deeply divided and contentious term.
Despite these figures, Trump’s core supporters remain deeply loyal, forming a strong and active political base that continues to shape the Republican Party. For GOP candidates seeking election or re-election, aligning with Trump often remains a strategic necessity, especially in Republican primaries.
However, broader public opinion continues to tell a more nuanced and divided story, especially among independents and moderate voters — key demographics that often determine the outcome of national elections. While Trump’s grip on the Republican base is undeniable, his ability to win over the general electorate remains uncertain and increasingly scrutinized.
