Trump Approval Ratings at Historic Low

Despite remaining overwhelmingly popular among his base, President Donald Trump's average approval rating after three months in office is the lowest of any new president since the end of World War II.

According to Gallup, Trump's average approval rating since taking office Jan. 20 is 41 percent. The next lowest during the early days of a presidency was Bill Clinton, whose average was 55 percent, a 14-point gap.

The polling data show Trump did not enjoy the so-called "honeymoon" phase of goodwill from Americans eager to support a president in his first term, though data also show there is not a particular correlation between the level of initial approval and the ultimate success or failure of a presidency.

John F. Kennedy enjoyed the highest average approval after three months at 74 percent, but would go on to suffer the Bay of Pigs disaster at the three-month mark, generally regarded as his biggest misstep while president. Jimmy Carter enjoyed the third-highest initial approval rating at 69 percent, a figure that was slowly dragged down by surging inflation, high gas prices and the Iran hostage crisis, factors that ultimately led to his defeat seeking re-election.

Trump's standing in the Gallup average is consistent with Thursday's average of all approval rating polls compiled by the statistics site FiveThirtyEight.com, which lists Trump's approval rating at 42 percent.