First Lady Melania Trump ranked second-to-last in a new popularity survey of recent first ladies, while her husband’s 2016 opponent, Hillary Clinton, landed at the very bottom, according to a YouGov poll released this week.
The poll asked 2,255 Americans earlier this month to rate the 11 most recent first ladies on a scale ranging from “outstanding” to “poor.” The findings reveal a sharp divide in public perception of the current first lady.
Thirty-six percent of respondents judged Melania Trump as “poor,” with another 10 percent rating her “below average.” On the positive end, about 18 percent called her “outstanding,” and 12 percent labeled her “above average.” Her results netted an overall approval score of negative 16 points.
Hillary Clinton, however, scored even lower. The poll reported that roughly 33 percent viewed her as “poor,” and 11 percent as “below average,” giving her a total net score of negative 17 points. Clinton, who lost to Donald Trump in the highly divisive 2016 election, continues to evoke strong reactions among the public.
On the opposite end, Jacqueline Kennedy overwhelmingly topped the list as the most admired first lady, earning a net positive score of 56 points. Rosalynn Carter followed with 32 points and Nancy Reagan with 25.
Former First Lady Michelle Obama also received strong favorability, with 51 percent rating her “outstanding” or “above average”—the second-highest combined score among the 11 women surveyed—leading to a net rating of positive 21 points. About 22 percent rated her as “poor.”
The poll also highlighted a notable trend about public views of first ladies and their spouses. “Opinion of first ladies generally is politically polarized in a similar way to opinion of their husbands,” YouGov noted in its report.
President Donald Trump received the highest percentage of “poor” ratings among the 20 presidents evaluated—48 percent called his presidency “poor” and another 6 percent rated him “below average.” Despite this, his overall net score of negative 20 points ranked as the second worst, behind Biden.
Former President Joe Biden placed as the second least popular president, with 38 percent saying he was “poor” and 12 percent calling him “below average,” resulting in a net score of negative 27 points. Only 7 percent rated him “outstanding.” This made Biden the least popular president by net rating—five points below Trump’s negative 20—even though Trump had the largest share of outright “poor” ratings.
Former President Richard Nixon ranked third in unpopularity, with 27 percent labeling him “poor” and 21 percent calling him “below average.”
The presidents who received the highest ratings were Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, and George Washington. Seventy-four percent rated Lincoln as “outstanding” or “above average,” while 66 percent said the same of Kennedy and 65 percent of Washington. Kennedy achieved a net score of positive 61 points, close to the high marks given to his wife Jacqueline, who earned positive 56.
This trend held true for several presidential couples. Ronald and Nancy Reagan earned nearly matching scores at positive 22 and positive 25, respectively. Former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama scored positive 15 and positive 21, respectively.
Hillary Clinton was the only first lady whose rating was significantly worse than her husband’s. Former President Bill Clinton received a net score of negative 3 points—still unfavorable but notably better than Hillary’s negative 17.
The release of the poll comes as interest in the current first lady spikes following the debut of “Melania,” a 104-minute documentary generating considerable debate. The film brought in $7 million during its opening weekend, but revenue dropped 67 percent to $2.37 million in its second. After two weeks, the film’s domestic total reached $13.35 million—a solid sum for a documentary but far below the $75 million Amazon invested in acquiring and promoting it. Amazon spent $40 million on the rights and another $35 million on marketing, a figure The Hollywood Reporter described as “the most expensive” documentary deal ever.
Additional Economist/YouGov polls released in January and February 2026 showed both Melania and Donald Trump receiving 41 percent favorable ratings, suggesting that their public images remain closely connected.
In a similar 2023 YouGov survey, Melania Trump performed slightly better. At that time, 39 percent rated her as “poor” or “below average,” compared to 37 percent who held the same view of Hillary Clinton.
The poll, which carries a margin of error of plus or minus 2.6 percentage points, offers insight into how partisan divides continue to shape Americans’ views of first ladies and presidents during an era of heightened political polarization.
