Trump more popular than Bush, Obama were at this point in second terms

President Donald Trump’s approval rating beats that of former Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama at the same point in their respective second terms, according to polling data aggregated by Real Clear Politics (RCP).

As of June 3, 47.5% of those surveyed said they approve of Trump’s job performance, according to RCP, which combines results from multiple national surveys into a single average. In comparison, the approval ratings for Bush and Obama were 45.9% and 47.1%, respectively, as of June 4 of the first year of their second terms in the Oval Office.

Trump’s approval ratings appear to be climbing back up after trending down during the months of March, April and early May thanks in part to recession concerns surrounding his tariff policies, hitting a low of 45.1% before bouncing back up in mid-May.

The RCP data approximately tracks with a recent Harvard University Center for American Political Studies/Harris poll, which showed that a slight majority of voters believe the economy is “strong.”

The uptick in the president’s approval rating coincides with consumer confidence jumping by 12.3 points to 98.0 in May, the first increase in the metric in five months. The surge was driven by improved expectations around business conditions, job prospects and future income, which gained momentum after the May 12 U.S.-China trade truce.

Job growth also contributed to the positive outlook, with the U.S. economy beating forecasts by adding 177,000 nonfarm payroll jobs in April, according to BLS data released May 2. Additionally, inflation showed signs of easing, with the Consumer Price Index rising just 0.2% that month.

Beyond economic indicators, the Trump administration is also hoping to score political wins through the “one big, beautiful” bill, which includes extending the tax cuts from his first term, eliminating taxes on tips and securing border funding. The reconciliation bill passed the House on May 22, and the president is urging senators to approve it by July 4.

The White House did not respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.

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