New poll reveals how popular Melania Trump is compared to other First Ladies

In the storied halls of American history, the role of First Lady has always been a delicate balancing act between public service and private identity. However, a comprehensive new poll comparing the women who have held the position has ignited a fresh round of debate, placing the current First Lady, Melania Trump, at the center of a starkly divided national consciousness.

The survey, which sampled 2,255 U.S. citizens, pitted Melania against some of the most iconic figures of the 20th and 21st centuries. In a field that includes the likes of Michelle Obama and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, the stakes for public approval were set exceptionally high.

An Enigma in the Middle

Melania Trump has long been characterized as a political enigma. Despite her near-constant global visibility, she has curated a lifestyle of relative privacy—a sharp contrast to the high-decibel, polarizing political orbit of her husband, Donald Trump. This detachment appears to have translated into a complicated statistical standing.

According to the latest data from YouGov, Melania currently holds a net approval rating of -16. While this puts her behind her successor, Jill Biden (who registered a -9), she is not at the nadir of the list. That spot belongs to Hillary Clinton, whose rating sits at -17. These figures suggest that negative net ratings have become a standard feature of the modern political landscape, reflecting a climate where partisan loyalty often dictates public perception.

The Gold Standard of “Camelot”

While modern figures struggle to find broad appeal, several of Melania’s predecessors continue to enjoy significant cross-party admiration. The poll revealed a clear hierarchy of enduring popularity:

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis’s commanding +56 rating underscores a legacy that has only strengthened in the decades since she left the White House. The data also confirmed a predictable partisan split: Melania’s support remains robust among Republicans but craters among Democrats, mirroring the deep-seated divisions surrounding the Trump presidency.

Methodology and the “Trump Factor”

The polling firm utilized a rigorous methodology to ensure the results reflected the current American demographic. A random sample was stratified by gender, age, race, education, and geographic region based on the 2019 American Community Survey. The data was further weighted by 2024 and 2020 voting behavior and baseline party identification.

This data arrives as Melania Trump’s media presence reaches a new peak. Her recent documentary reportedly earned $7 million during its opening weekend, following a massive deal in which Amazon allegedly paid $40 million for the rights and spent another $35 million on a global marketing blitz.

The Presidential Rankings

The survey’s scrutiny extended to the commanders-in-chief themselves, yielding results that were equally jarring. Out of the 20 presidents included in the study, Donald Trump ranked last with a net approval of -20. Joe Biden followed closely as the second least popular figure in the presidential tier.

The sentiment toward the former president was particularly pointed: roughly 48% of respondents characterized Donald Trump’s performance as “poor,” while an additional 6% labeled him as “below average.”

As the 2026 political cycle begins to take shape, these numbers offer a sobering look at how the American public views its most powerful families—not just as political actors, but as symbols of a country still struggling to find common ground.