A poll of more than 8,000 voters revealed that dislike for the two major party nominees is at its highest level since 1988. Former President Donald Trump and incumbent President Joe Biden are disliked by 25% of the voters polled by Pew Research. That’s the highest number since the 1988 Presidential Election matchup between Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis as the Democratic Party Nominee and then Vice President George H.W. Bush, who was serving under President Ronald Reagan at the time.
According to Pew’s records, prior to 2016, no more than about one-in-ten Americans had held unfavorable opinions of both major party candidates at this stage of any of the seven previous presidential campaigns. And during several campaigns – most recently George W. Bush versus John Kerry in 2004 – no more than about 5% did.
In the current campaign:
- Slightly more than a third of Americans (36%) have a favorable view of Trump and an unfavorable opinion of Biden.
- Nearly as many (34%) have a favorable view of Biden and a negative one of Trump.
- 25% have unfavorable views of both candidates, while just 3% feel favorably toward both.
Americans’ opinions of Biden and Trump are largely unchanged since March.
