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By Anna Skinner
Associate News Editor
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Favorability ratings for former President Barack Obama and President Donald Trump tell a drastically different story as both politicians travel to states with competitive midterm races ahead of the election on November 3.
The campaign rallies to drum up support and increase voter turnout for their respective parties come as Republicans seek to defend their House and Senate majorities and Democrats look to capitalize on competitive races that could flip control of both chambers to their favor. As Obama and Trump hit the campaign trail this week, recent polls offer a glimpse into how voters view them and whether either can provide a boost to candidates in closely contested races.
Obama Campaigns in Ohio, Michigan and Georgia Before Midterm Election
Obama visited Michigan and Ohio over the weekend in support of Democratic candidates on the ballot, while Trump rallied on behalf of Republicans in Michigan on Sunday. On Wednesday, Obama is set to visit Georgia, a state where Trump also made a stop over the weekend. Obama will be campaigning with Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Keisha Lance Bottoms at the event.
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The three states are home to some of the most competitive Senate races this election cycle.
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In Ohio, former Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown and incumbent Republican Senator Jon Husted are competing in a hotly contested race. In Michigan, former Representative Mike Rogers and Democrat Abdul El-Sayed are vying for the state’s open Senate seat. In Georgia, Democrats are fighting to defend Ossoff’s seat against Republican challenger Mike Collins. Tight gubernatorial races are also on the ballot, including the Ohio race between Republican Vivek Ramaswamy and Democrat Amy Acton.
The states have played important roles in both presidents' political careers. Obama won both Ohio and Michigan in his 2008 and 2012 presidential victories. Trump later won both states in 2016 and carried Ohio again in 2020 and 2024. While Michigan backed Democrat Joe Biden in 2020, Trump reclaimed the state in 2024, highlighting its status as a closely watched swing state.
Obama never won Georgia in either of his presidential campaigns. Trump won the state in his first presidential campaign in 2016, but Democrats reclaimed it in 2020 with former President Joe Biden securing the state in that election. However, Trump again won Georgia in the 2024 election that brought him back to the White House.
The recent voting history of all three states underscores their role in this year's election, as both Democratic and Republican candidates have won in the past.
Donald Trump vs. Barack Obama: Favorability Ratings Compared
While both Obama and Trump were warmly welcomed by their respective parties, a recent poll comparing favorability ratings between the two presidents shows the disparity between them.
A UMass Lowell/YouGov poll that surveyed 1,000 likely U.S. voters between October 2 and 4 found that Obama’s net favorability rating was much higher than Trump’s, with 57 percent of survey respondents having a favorable view of Obama while 37 percent said they had an unfavorable view, giving Obama a net favorability rating of 20 points. Meanwhile, the same poll found that only 39 percent of respondents said they had a favorable opinion of Trump, while 57 percent said they had an unfavorable view, nearly a mirrored opposite of Obama’s results.
Earlier in the year, YouGov conducted a poll of 2,175 U.S. adult citizens between September 1 and 6 in which survey respondents were asked to rate U.S. presidents in comparison to how Trump ranked several presidents in a late August Truth Social post.
When asked about Obama, who Trump said was a "failure" in his post, only 19 percent of survey respondents agreed with Trump that Obama was a "failure," while 31 percent ranked Obama as "great" and 15 percent ranked him as "near great."
Survey respondents ranked Trump less favorably, with 48 percent saying they thought he was a "failure," 20 percent saying they thought he was "great," and 10 percent saying they thought Trump was "near great."
However, Costas Panagopoulos, a distinguished professor of political science at Northeastern University, told Newsweek that "retrospective approval of former presidents tends to be higher" as their shortcomings tend to be minimized when compared to someone currently in office. While a more accurate depiction of how voters are feeling would be polls querying their approval or disapproval of Trump's current job as president, Panagopoulos said favorability can affect the impact of a politician's endorsement of another candidate.
"It's a basic reality that when someone is viewed more favorably, their impact is going to be greater on the campaign trail because they can be more convincing and they can be on the defensive less than if their popularity is lagging behind," Panagopoulos told Newsweek. "The overall findings are clear: Obama is way better positioned than Trump to be on the campaign trail."
What Happens Next
Obama is expected to continue campaigning for Democratic candidates this week, including a stop in Georgia alongside Ossoff and Lance Bottoms. Trump is also set to make additional campaign appearances in battleground states as Republicans seek to maintain control of Congress. Both parties are making a final push to energize voters ahead of the November 3 midterm elections, when control of the House and Senate will be decided.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Jenna deJong and Emma Lee-Sang
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