Poll shock: Trump’s longtime critic Jerome Powell is more popular than the president

Jerome Powell has emerged as the most popular figure among senior US leaders, according to a new national survey. The finding places him ahead of President Donald Trump, whose approval rating remains near historic lows.

The results come from a Gallup national poll conducted in early December 2025. The survey was carried out between December 1 and 15 and included roughly 1,000 US adults. It measured job approval for 13 major political and institutional figures.

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What the poll reveals about Trump and Powell

Gallup found that Powell holds a 44% job-approval rating, the highest of any figure tested in the survey. Trump’s approval rating stood at 36%, which Gallup described as a new low for his second term and only slightly above his all-time low of 34% recorded in 2021.

Only two figures crossed the 40% threshold. Powell ranked first, followed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who registered a 41% approval rating. All other leaders included in the poll remained below that level.

Trump trails despite strong Republican support

The survey shows that Trump’s approval remains sharply polarised along partisan lines. About 89% of Republicans approve of his performance, while support among independents is far lower and approval among Democrats is near zero. This divide continues to pull the president’s overall rating into the mid-30s.

Powell’s numbers also reflect partisan division. While his 44% approval does not represent majority support, it remains the strongest net rating among all the figures tested in the poll.

A long-running clash

The result is notable given Trump’s repeated and public attacks on Powell throughout 2025. The president has criticised the Fed chair over interest-rate policy, called him a “loser,” and pressed the central bank to cut rates more aggressively to support economic growth.

Trump has also suggested that Powell should resign and has openly weighed replacing him when his term as Fed chair ends in May 2026, despite having nominated Powell to the position during his first term.

Rates, policy and public moments

The Federal Reserve has cut interest rates three times this year as it seeks to support a slowing economy. The most recent cut, announced in December, lowered the benchmark rate by 0.25 percentage points to a target range of 3.5% to 3.75%.

Tensions between the two men have also played out publicly. In July, Powell corrected Trump during a visit to the Federal Reserve after the president misstated renovation costs at the Fed’s headquarters, an exchange that drew widespread attention.

Gallup noted that no leader in the survey approached 50% approval, highlighting a broader mood of dissatisfaction with national leadership. The poll measures job approval rather than personal favourability or voting intent and reflects deep partisan divides across nearly all figures tested.