Ronald Reagan is still No. 1.
In a new survey focusing on national security, the former president tops the list of most favored recent presidents, easily beating former President Barack Obama and crushing President Joe Biden by 25 percentage points.
In the Beacon Research poll, Reagan had a 69% favorable rating, including 51% among Democrats, 63% with independents, and 91% of Republicans. He also led every president since in the “very favorable” category at 42%.
By comparison, Biden had a 44% favorable rating, with just 19% at “very favorable,” a hair worse than former President Jimmy Carter.
The survey may be seen as biased since it was conducted for the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute, but the results conform with other recent polls.
One standout was the continued rise in approvals for former President George H.W. Bush, Reagan’s vice president. He lost in his reelection bid against former President Bill Clinton, but he is now the second-most favored president at 62% when his “very” and “somewhat” favorables are combined.
Obama is at 59% combined “very” and “somewhat” favorable.
Overall, the survey suggested that the public is pessimistic about the direction of the nation and the military.
And when asked about Biden’s most important national security move, the withdrawal from Afghanistan, a majority blamed his “poor judgement” for the bungled effort.
