Powell becomes the most popular official, Trump's approval rating approaches a historic low

Source: Jin10 Data

The Hill reports that a new Gallup survey found that among 13 American leaders, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell is the most popular. This finding puts him ahead of U.S. President Trump, whose approval ratings remain near historic lows.

The poll released this Monday shows that over four-tenths of respondents approve of Powell’s performance. This includes 46% of Democrats, 34% of Republicans, and 49% of independents.

Gallup found that Powell’s job approval rating is 44%, the highest among the tested figures in the survey. Trump’s approval rating is 36%, which Gallup describes as his second-lowest during his second term, just slightly above his historic low of 34 set in 2021.

The survey indicates that Trump’s support remains highly polarized along party lines. About 89% of Republicans approve of his performance, while support among independents is much lower, and support among Democrats is close to zero. Powell’s approval rate also reflects partisan divides. Although his 44% support does not constitute a majority, it is still the highest net support among all candidates in this poll.

Among a group including Trump, Vice President Vance, five other cabinet officials, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, and leaders of both parties in Congress, only Secretary of State Marco Rubio has at least 40% support.

The survey found that the lowest-rated official—Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (Democrat from New York)—has a support rate of 28%.

Considering Trump’s repeated public criticisms of Powell throughout 2025, these results are notable. Trump has repeatedly criticized Powell, accusing him of not supporting earlier or larger rate cuts.

However, in the past three meetings (including one earlier this month), the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) voted to cut rates by 25 basis points. The current federal funds rate target range is 3.5% to 3.75%.

Trump is also preparing to nominate Powell’s successor, as Powell’s second term as Federal Reserve Chair will end in May next year. Kevin Hassett, director of the National Economic Council; former Federal Reserve Board member Kevin Warsh; and current Board member Christopher Waller are all considered potential candidates to succeed Powell.

This Gallup survey was conducted from December 1 to 15, interviewing 1,016 American adults by phone. The margin of error is 4 percentage points. It measures approval of 13 major political and institutional figures.

Gallup Consulting notes that no leader in this survey has an approval rating close to 50%, reflecting widespread public dissatisfaction with national leadership. The poll measures job approval rather than personal favorability or voting intention, and it also shows that support for almost all evaluated figures is deeply affected by partisan divides.