Former President Donald Trump’s favorability is steadily increasing, according to Gallup polling data released on Wednesday. This rise in approval comes amidst crucial months leading up to Election Day and overcomes the so-called “honeymoon” phase experienced by Vice President Kamala Harris after she won zero Democrat primary votes to replace President Joe Biden atop the ticket.
The Gallup poll found that Trump’s favorability has increased by five points since August, with 46 percent now viewing him positively and only 53 percent having an unfavorable opinion of the former president (-2. Meanwhile, Harris’ favorability rating has dropped by three points in the same period, standing at 44 percent (-3), while her unfavorable score has increased to 54 percent (+5.
The polling indicates that independent voters are driving this divergence in popularity. Trump currently holds a 16-point advantage over Harris in favorability ratings among independents, with the former president registering at 44 to 53 percent (net: -9) and the vice president standing at 35 to 60 percent (net: -25.
Gallup also noted that Trump is currently performing better than he was during his 2020 and 2016 campaigns, while Harris’ positive rating is on par with Biden’s in 2020 and well above Clinton’s in 2016. Apart from Trump, Clinton, and Biden, only George H.W. Bush in 1992 and Mitt Romney in 2012 have managed to achieve a favorable score of less than 50 percent.
The latest Gallup poll, conducted between September 3-15, 2024, found that 46 percent of U.S. adults view Donald Trump favorably, while 44 percent hold the same opinion of Kamala Harris. However, both candidates have higher unfavorable than favorable ratings, with Trump’s unfavorable score standing at seven percentage points above his favorability rating and Harris’ 10 points higher.
Harris experienced a boost in her favorability rating following her unexpected nomination as the Democratic presidential candidate; however, this increase has since stabilized somewhat. In contrast, Trump’s favorability rating has risen by five points since August, bringing it back to its level from June.
The Gallup poll sampled 1,007 American adults between September 3-15, 2024, with a ± four percent margin of error.