Gallup to Stop Tracking Presidential Approval Ratings After 88 Years

The public opinion polling agency will no longer publish favorability ratings of political figures.

Published on Feb. 12, 2026

Gallup, the renowned public opinion polling agency, has announced that it will no longer track and publish presidential approval ratings starting this year. The company cited an evolution in its focus and the changing context around these measures as the reasons for the decision, which marks the end of an 88-year tradition.

Why it matters

Gallup's presidential approval ratings have long been a widely cited and influential metric for measuring public sentiment towards the president's performance. The discontinuation of this service represents a significant shift in the landscape of political polling and could impact how the media and the public assess the popularity of elected leaders.

The details

Gallup stated that the decision to stop publishing favorability ratings of political figures is part of a broader effort to align its public research with its core mission. The company noted that these ratings are now widely produced and interpreted by others, and no longer represent an area where Gallup can make its most distinctive contribution. Instead, Gallup will continue its work through other research initiatives, such as the Gallup Poll Social Series, the Gallup Quarterly Business Review, and the World Poll.

  • Gallup began tracking presidential job performance 88 years ago, during the Great Depression.
  • Gallup will stop publishing favorability ratings of political figures starting this year (2026).

The players

Gallup

A public opinion polling agency that has been tracking presidential approval ratings for 88 years.

Donald Trump

The former president whose approval rating was 36% in early December, according to the latest Gallup data.

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The takeaway

The discontinuation of Gallup's presidential approval ratings marks the end of an era in political polling and could have significant implications for how the public and media assess the popularity of elected leaders in the future.