Fact Check: Is Donald Trump the most unpopular president?

WASHINGTON, DC: As the conflict in the Middle East continues to escalate, a claim has been circulating on social media platforms that a polling tracker suggests that President Donald Trump is the most unpopular president ever, sparking outrage and speculation about the authenticity and credibility of the poll. Let us fact-check the claim.

Claim: Donald Trump is the most unpopular president

The speculations surfaced after a ‘15.3 percent’ figure tied to Trump's standing in polling trackers went viral on Wednesday.

Several social media posts began sharing that number as Trump’s overall approval rating, and concluded that it suggests he had become the most unpopular president in modern history.

The different variants of the claim have spread on various social media platforms such as X, Facebook, and Threads, garnering millions of views.

While many shared the poll to critique the president, a few others remained skeptical and questioned its authenticity.

Fact Check: False, approval ratings are not the same as net approvals

However, the claim that this poll shows Trump is the most unpopular president is false, as approval ratings are not the same as net approval. 

That figure originated from polling analyst Nate Silver’s presidential approval tracker and reflects the gap between those who approve of Trump’s job performance and those who disapprove, rather than his overall approval percentage.

Approval rating is the percentage of people who approve of a president’s performance.

Net approval is the difference between approval and disapproval, which is approval minus disapproval. A net approval of -15.3 doesn’t mean 15.3% approve; it indicates that disapproval is higher than approval by 15.3 percentage points.

Hence, the claim that Trump is the most unpopular president ever is misleading.

Donald Trump claims the Iran war is almost over

Trump said the conflict with Iran was nearing its end, asserting that American forces had “obliterated” much of Tehran’s military capability.

He claimed Iran’s navy, air force, and key defense systems had been largely destroyed, adding that US forces were operating freely in Iranian airspace and were “substantially ahead of schedule.”

Defending the massive $200 billion funding proposal, Trump said it extended beyond the Iran war and reflected the need to rebuild military capacity.

"We have the strongest military in the world...The other night, they had 114 rockets shot at a certain location—highly sophisticated rockets...every single one of them was shot down with our equipment...It's a small price to pay to make sure that we stay tippy top," he said.