Democrats are viewing the state of the nation more negatively than at any point under recent Republican presidents, according to new Gallup polling.
The survey, released February 20, finds that during the first year of President Donald Trump’s second term, just 27% of Democrats rate national conditions positively, while 67% rate them negatively.
Gallup analyzed Americans’ views on 30 aspects of the country between February 2025 and January 2026. The issues range from the economy and healthcare to crime, immigration, race relations and global standing.
The 27% average positive rating among Democrats marks the lowest level recorded for either party during any recent presidency. By comparison, Democrats averaged 39% positive ratings during Trump’s first term, 38% during George W. Bush’s second term and 45% during Bush’s first term.
Republicans, meanwhile, have largely expressed satisfaction under Trump’s return to office. So far in his second term, Republicans average 54% positive ratings across the same measures. That fits a long-standing pattern of the president’s party expressing more optimism when it controls the White House.
Gallup found that Republicans’ positivity has exceeded 50% during every Republican presidency this century, including both of Trump’s terms and George W. Bush’s two terms. Democrats’ positivity under Democratic presidents has typically remained below 50%, peaking at 50% during Barack Obama’s second term and 45% under President Joe Biden.
Sharp partisan divides
The January “Mood of the Nation” poll shows wide gaps between Republicans and Democrats on several key issues.
For example, 78% of Republicans say they are satisfied with the role the U.S. plays in world affairs, compared with just 13% of Democrats — a 65-point gap. There is a 55-point gap in satisfaction with the nation’s economy and a 53-point gap on income and wealth distribution.
Gun laws also show a major divide, with 72% of Republicans satisfied compared with 15% of Democrats.
The smallest gaps appear on federal taxes, Social Security and Medicare, immigration levels and public education. Military strength is the only area where majorities of all party groups express satisfaction.
Independents generally fall between the two parties but often lean closer to Democrats on issues like the economy and world affairs.
Long-term dissatisfaction
Despite the sharp partisan split, overall satisfaction remains historically low. Gallup’s long-running measure of satisfaction with the way things are going in the U.S., first asked in 1979, shows that average satisfaction across major issues has hovered below 50% for most of the past two decades.
After briefly rising following the September 11 attacks in 2001, average satisfaction has trended downward. In January 2026, the average across 25 regularly tracked issues stands at 36%, the lowest recorded to date.
Gallup researchers say both parties tend to view national conditions through a partisan lens. In the past, Republicans have shown larger swings in optimism depending on which party controls the White House. This year, Democrats’ drop in positivity — an 18-point decline from 45% under Biden to 27% under Trump — matches the size of those past Republican swings.
Gallup said it will continue tracking whether the current level of partisan division narrows or persists through the remainder of Trump’s term.
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