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By Sam Stevenson
Associate News Editor
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Democrat Barack Obama remains the most-popular living former president, according to a new national poll that highlights how Americans now view the leaders of the past two decades.
A new CNN/SSRS poll conducted in May among U.S. adults found Obama enjoys substantially higher favorability ratings than GOP President Donald Trump and former Democratic President Joe Biden as he marks the opening of his presidential center in Chicago.
The results underscore how presidential reputations can shift after leaving office while also revealing the deep partisan divisions that continue to shape views of recent leaders.
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The data reflects how voters—especially independents and younger Americans—are reassessing recent presidents as the political landscape shifts toward a new electoral cycle.
Key Points
- Obama holds a 57 percent favorability rating, the highest among living U.S. presidents
- Trump is at 34 percent favorable, ahead of Biden at 30 percent
- It is, however, the lowest figure Trump has recorded in his second White House term in this polling series
- Former Democratic President Bill Clinton’s ratings are roughly split, while ex-Republican leader George W. Bush trends slightly positive at 42 percent favorable to 33 percent unfavorable
- Obama dominates among independents and retains near-universal support within the Democratic Party
- The poll shows strong partisan sorting, with limited cross-party appeal for Trump and Biden.
Presidential reputations often improve once leaders leave office, but the latest poll suggests that process is uneven and still heavily influenced by partisan identity.
The findings provide an early snapshot of the political legacies Obama, Trump and Biden carry into future debates over the direction of the country.
Obama Leads Former Presidents by Wide Margin
The CNN/SSRS survey was conducted between May 7 and May 31 among 2,480 U.S. adults through online and telephone interviews. The margin of error is plus or minus 2.7 percentage points.
The topline results show a clear pecking order among recent presidents:
- Obama: 57 percent favorable
- Trump: 34 percent favorable
- Biden: 30 percent favorable
Obama's 57 percent favorability rating places him more than 20 points ahead of Trump and nearly double Biden's, making him comfortably the most-popular living former president in the survey.
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Trump's Support Remains Polarized
Trump's trajectory has been more volatile. He left office with a 33 percent favorability rating, rebounded to 46 percent around his second inauguration and has since fallen back to 34 percent—his lowest mark of the second term.
The swings reflect both the loyalty of Trump's core supporters and persistent skepticism among much of the broader electorate.
Obama's Advantage Extends Beyond Democrats
Obama's lead is especially striking among independents. He earns a 56 percent favorability rating with the group, compared with 25 percent for Trump and 20 percent for Biden.
Even among Republicans, Obama receives favorable ratings from roughly 1 in 5 respondents.
That level of crossover appeal far exceeds what Trump and Biden receive from opposing-party voters. Just 5 percent of Democrats view Trump favorably, while a similar share of Republicans hold positive views of Biden.
Biden's Standing Continues to Slide
The survey also highlights Biden's declining standing. According to CNN polling, he entered office with a 59 percent favorability rating, left with 33 percent and now stands at 30 percent.
Although his unfavorability rating has softened slightly, more respondents now say they have no opinion of him, suggesting fading engagement rather than shifting partisan loyalties.
Bush and Clinton Benefit From Time
The poll also included other recent presidents, offering a broader historical comparison point.
- George W. Bush: 42 percent favorable, 33 percent unfavorable
- Clinton: 38 percent favorable, 39 percent unfavorable
The numbers reflect a familiar trend in American politics: former presidents often regain public support once they are no longer at the center of daily partisan battles.
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Poll Coincides With Obama Center Opening
The poll's release coincides with the opening of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago, where the former president outlined his vision of America's role in the world.
"When American foreign policy lives up to our highest ideals…when we encourage cooperation between nations, instead of trying to dominate and bully…all nations, including ours, become more prosperous and secure, and the world gets a little bit brighter," Obama said during remarks at the opening ceremony.
He also described the United States as "an undeniable force for good" when it acts according to its highest ideals.
Obama was joined by Biden, Bush and Clinton, as well as several former first ladies.
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Younger Americans Have a Different Frame of Reference
The survey also highlights a generational shift in political memory.
More than 4 in 10 Americans under 30 say they have no opinion of either Bush or Clinton.
For many younger voters, the political reference point is no longer the Clinton or Bush years, but the far more polarized era shaped by Trump and his successors.
Time Helps Some Presidents More Than Others
The results reflect two long-running trends in American politics. The first is retrospective softening, where public opinion often improves after a president leaves office.
Bush is perhaps the clearest example, having recovered significantly from the deeply negative ratings he faced at the end of his presidency.
The second is partisan entrenchment. Trump and Biden remain closely associated with today's political battles and attract little support from voters outside their own parties.
Just 5 percent of Democrats view Trump favorably, while a similar share of Republicans say the same about Biden.
Obama appears to occupy a middle ground: still a partisan figure, but far enough removed from office to benefit from a more favorable retrospective assessment.
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Obama Also Tops the 'Most Admired' Ranking
The survey found a similar hierarchy when respondents were asked which president they admire most:
- Obama: 30 percent
- Trump: 19 percent
- Abraham Lincoln: 9 percent
- Ronald Reagan: 9 percent
Among Democrats, 64 percent selected Obama, while 53 percent of Republicans chose Trump, underscoring the continued partisan split in perceptions of recent presidents.
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The Legacy Rankings Are Still Evolving
For now, Obama occupies a relatively rare position in modern American politics: broadly popular across much of the electorate while Trump and Biden remain deeply polarizing figures.
As another election cycle approaches, those perceptions will continue to shape not only how voters assess recent presidents but also how they evaluate the next generation of political leaders.
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