Melania Trump’s tenure as First Lady of the United States has, much like her husband Donald Trump’s, been a roller coaster. While she has made some appearances, Melania has largely remained private. Now, a new poll reveals what Americans really think about her job as First Lady compared to others who came before her.
Before Melania Trump and her husband, Donald Trump, moved back into the White House in January last year, the First Lady stated that her second time in Washington would be different. The Slovenian‑born former model said she would divide her time between Washington, Palm Beach, and New York City while still performing her duties.
While Melania has continued her Be Best initiative, her second term as First Lady has largely centered on her documentary. She announced the film’s production shortly before her husband’s second presidential inauguration.
Amazon reportedly paid $40 million for the documentary’s filming rights, and it was released in January. It has received mixed reviews; however, Melania herself was very pleased with the final result. “I’m very proud of the film, so people may like it, may don’t like it, and that’s their choice,” she told CNN shortly before the documentary’s release. “We achieved what we want to achieve. For myself, it’s already successful. I’m very proud of what we did.”
New poll reveals what Americans think of Melania Trump as First Lady
While Donald Trump has struggled in the polls heading into the midterms, many might wonder how Americans view Melania Trump. A recent YouGov poll offers some insight.
It states that the poll “was conducted online among 2,255 adult citizens on two separate 2026 surveys from February 2–5 and February 3–5.”
YouGov explained, “A random sample (stratified by gender, age, race, education, geographic region, and voter registration) was selected from the 2019 American Community Survey. The sample was weighted according to gender, age, race, education, 2024 presidential vote, 2020 election turnout and presidential vote, baseline party identification, and current voter registration status.”
So what did the poll show? Melania has a -16 approval rating, which is lower than the previous First Lady, Jill Biden (-9). Still, Melania’s rating is higher than Hillary Clinton’s, who polled at -17.
Other First Ladies had considerably higher approval ratings: Nancy Reagan at +25, Lady Bird Johnson at +23, Rosalynn Carter at +32, and Barbara Bush at +21. Michelle Obama received +21, and Laura Bush +19.
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis most popular
However, the highest rating by far belongs to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, First Lady and wife of President John F. Kennedy. She served from 1961 to 1963 and had an approval rating of +56, according to a YouGov survey.
Melania’s approval rating was higher among Republican voters than among Democrats.
What do you think of Melania Trump as First Lady of the United States? Please share your thoughts in the comment section.
