The most popular First Ladies
Despite the mixed scores overall, several First Ladies earned positive marks from the public — and from both sides of the political aisle.
Among them:
- Nancy Reagan (+25)
- Rosalynn Carter (+32)
- Lady Bird Johnson (+23)
- Barbara Bush (+21)
- Michelle Obama (+21)
- Laura Bush (+19)
But towering above them all was Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, who achieved a remarkable +56 approval rating — underscoring her enduring legacy decades after leaving the White House.
The poll also highlighted a familiar trend: Melania performed significantly better among Republicans than Democrats, mirroring the broader partisan divide surrounding her husband’s presidency.
Trump’s ranking
Explaining its methodology, the polling firm said:
“A random sample (stratified by gender, age, race, education, geographic region, and voter registration) was selected from the 2019 American Community Survey.
“The sample was weighted according to gender, age, race, education, 2024 presidential vote, 2020 election turnout and presidential vote, baseline party identification, and current voter registration status.”
The poll comes as Melania Trump’s divisive documentary hits the spotlight, reportedly raking in $7 million during its opening weekend. (Amazon reportedly paid $40 million to secure the rights to Melania Trump’s documentary and invested an additional $35 million on marketing and promotion.)
The survey also looked at former presidents — and the results were just as striking. Donald Trump ranked last among the 20 commanders-in-chief included, earning a net approval rating of -20. Close behind was Joe Biden, who emerged as the second least popular in the poll.
Around 48 percent of respondents believe Donald Trump is “poor,” while another 6 percent say he is “below average.”