Gallup Stops Tracking Presidential Approval Ratings

Pollster Gallup (Center bias) announced that it will stop offering presidential approval ratings after 80 years of doing so.

The Details: The news was first reported by The Washington Post (Lean Left). Gallup spokesperson Justin McCarthy confirmed to the publication that the company began the strategic shift in January.

Key Quotes: Gallup told The Washington Post, "Our commitment is to long-term, methodologically sound research on issues and conditions that shape people's lives. That work will continue through the Gallup Poll Social Series, the Gallup Quarterly Business Review, the World Poll, and our portfolio of U.S. and global research." In a separate statement, it told Axios (Lean Left), the ratings "have been part of Gallup's history [they are now] widely produced, aggregated and interpreted, and no longer represent an area where Gallup can make its most distinctive contribution."

For Context: Gallup last reported President Trump's approval rating in December, when it stood at 36% – down from 47% when he took office in January. In December 2021, almost a year into his term, Gallup reported President Joe Biden's rating at 43%. In December 2017, during President Trump's first term, his Gallup approval rating was 37%.

How The Media Covered It: Mainstream sources across the spectrum covered the news similarly. Some outlets ran opinion coverage in the days after the news broke. The Atlantic (Left) published the headline, "What Fabulous Timing for Gallup to Stop Tracking Presidential Approval!" The Boston Herald (Lean Right) Editorial Board described it as a "gaffe" and "major mistake" in its headline.

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