Joe Biden’s favorability rating has risen six percentage points to 55% since the election compared with his final preelection reading. At the same time, President Donald Trump’s favourability has edged down three points to 42%.

Biden’s current rating is the highest it has been since February 2019, two months before he declared his candidacy for president, when it was 56%. Trump’s latest favourability falls short of the highest of his presidency, 49% in April, during the initial stages of the coronavirus pandemic.

The increase in Biden’s favourability between Gallup’s final pre-election and first post election readings is driven by independents and Republicans, whose positive ratings of Biden grew from 48% to 55% and 6% to 12%, respectively. Democrats’ nearly unanimous positive ratings remained constant.

Trump’s slightly lower post-election favourable rating is owed more to Republicans than independents or Democrats. Republicans’ rating of the president fell six points to 89%, while it was essentially unchanged among independents and static among Democrats.

What is striking is that the same poll and sample had the Republican party with a 2% lead on favourability over the Democrats.

Gallup, the pioneer of political polling, pulled out of voting intention polling some years ago but continues to carry out leader ratings the latest of which are above.

My reading is that the trend here is bad for Trump and his attempt to undermine Biden.

Mike Smithson