Brace yourselves, patriots—President Donald Trump has just clinched a job approval rating that leaves two past presidents in the dust at comparable points in their second terms, as Newsweek reports.

On January 6, 2026, Trump’s approval soared to 43.9%, topping George W. Bush’s 43.6% and Barack Obama’s 42.4%, as reported by RealClearPolling’s aggregated rolling analysis.

Let’s set the stage: Trump’s numbers have been climbing steadily, surpassing Obama’s rating since November 2025 and finally nudging past Bush’s just before the Christmas season in 2025.

Trump’s Steady Climb in Public Support

This boost isn’t some random blip; it follows months of flatline figures, suggesting a real shift in how Americans view the administration’s efforts.

A recent Reuters/Ipsos national poll, conducted online from Jan. 4 to 5, 2026, among 1,248 U.S. adults, pegged Trump’s approval at 42%, up from 39% in December 2025—the highest since October.

That poll, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points, aligns with another survey by InsiderAdvantage on Dec. 20, 2025, of 800 likely voters, showing 49.5% approval and a net rating of plus 8.4 points, despite a margin of error of about 3.46 points.

Historical Context of Presidential Ratings

Looking back, Trump’s current standing is a stark improvement from the 34% approval he held at the close of his first term in January 2021, a number that mirrored Bush’s final Gallup rating in 2009.

By comparison, Barack Obama left office in 2017 with a robust 59% approval per Gallup, while Bill Clinton exited in 2001 with an even stronger 66%.

Bush’s ratings tell a tale of extremes, skyrocketing above 90% in an ABC News poll after the 2001 attacks, only to crash to a dismal 19% in a 2008 American Research Group survey amid the global financial crisis.

Policy Moves Fueling Approval Gains

Trump’s recent gains seem rooted in his administration’s relentless focus on immigration enforcement and foreign policy—issues that strike a chord with folks weary of progressive policies that often feel out of touch with everyday struggles.

White House spokesperson Kush Desai told Newsweek last month: “President Trump and every member of his administration are clear-eyed about the fact that Americans continue to reel from the lingering effects of Joe Biden's generational economic crisis.”

Desai continued: “Turning the Biden economic disaster around has informed nearly every action the Trump administration has taken since Day One, from unleashing American energy to cut gas prices to signing historic drug pricing deals to cut costs for American patients.”

Trump’s Perspective and Political Horizon

Trump himself weighed in on Truth Social last month, proclaiming, “The real number is 64 percent, and why not, our Country is 'hotter' than ever before.” While the data doesn’t quite hit that lofty mark, his boundless energy and knack for galvanizing supporters can’t be ignored, even if it raises eyebrows among the skeptical crowd.

As midterm elections approach, history looms large—typically, the party of the sitting president loses congressional seats, as seen in 2018 when House Democrats gained 40 seats during Trump’s first term.

Yet, with approval ticking upward, Trump’s camp might defy the odds, leveraging this momentum to craft strategies that resonate with heartland values, while leaving critics of endless government overreach wondering how he keeps winning over the public’s trust against all predictions.