Obama Rates Higher Than Trump, Biden in Poll
A national AtlasIntel survey finds Barack Obama viewed more positively than Donald Trump or Joe Biden ahead of the November 3 midterms.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Employment
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An AtlasIntel national poll released November 1 shows 40 percent of Americans rate Trump and Biden positively, while 54 percent rate Obama positively. The survey interviewed 3,566 U.S. adults with a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points.
Why it matters
The poll points to public dissatisfaction ahead of the midterms, when all 435 House seats and 35 Senate seats are contested. The results will shape control of the next Congress, whose term begins January 3, 2027.
AtlasIntel's survey of 3,566 U.S. adults, with a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points, puts Trump's net rating at minus 18 and Biden's at minus 14, while Obama's is plus 10. The survey measures current views rather than approval at matching points in each presidency, and it cannot show how these views will affect November's votes.
The players
AtlasIntel
AtlasIntel is a Brazilian polling and data analytics firm that conducts election and public opinion surveys across multiple countries.
CNN/SSRS
CNN/SSRS is a polling partnership between CNN and the research firm SSRS that conducts national public opinion surveys.
Reuters/Ipsos
Reuters/Ipsos is a polling collaboration between the Reuters news agency and the global market research firm Ipsos.
The details
AtlasIntel interviewed respondents between October 28 and November 1 using its Random Digital Recruitment method. A separate CNN/SSRS survey from October 15 to 18 found Obama favorable at 57 percent, Trump at 34 percent and Biden at 30 percent, while a Reuters/Ipsos poll from October 22 to 26 found 32 percent of Americans approved of Trump's job performance.
Timeline
October 15 to 18, 2026: CNN/SSRS survey of registered voters conducted.
October 22 to 26, 2026: Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted.
October 28 to November 1, 2026: AtlasIntel survey interviewed U.S. adults.
November 1, 2026: AtlasIntel survey released.
November 3, 2026: Midterm elections held.
Market Landscape
Across several independent pollsters in the weeks before the midterms, presidential favorability has stayed low while Obama's ratings have remained markedly higher. The AtlasIntel survey adds to a consistent cross-pollster pattern that frames the November 3 contests as a referendum on current leadership.
The November 3 elections will determine which party controls the next Congress when its term begins January 3, 2027, shaping laws on taxes, spending and federal regulation. Voters' views of the sitting leaders are a factor in how those races turn out.
The takeaway
Public sentiment this close to an election is a signal worth tracking, but a single poll is one data point among many. Comparing results across several pollsters gives a clearer picture of where voters stand.
What happens next
The midterm elections take place November 3, 2026, when all 435 House seats and 35 Senate seats are decided.
Further reading
For more on the broader economic and political backdrop, explore Employment coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Newsweek.
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