Melania Trump’s time as First Lady of the United States was quite eventful, much like her husband, Donald Trump’s term in office. While she has made some public appearances, Melania generally kept her life private. A new poll now reveals how Americans truly feel about her role as First Lady compared to others who have held the same position.
Before transitioning back into the White House with her husband in January of the previous year, Melania, originally from Slovenia and a former model, announced that her second tenure would be quite different. She planned to split her time between Washington, Palm Beach, and New York City, while fulfilling her duties.
During her second term as First Lady, Melania continued her Be Best initiative, but much of her focus was on a documentary. She announced its production just before Donald Trump’s second presidential inauguration.
Amazon reportedly purchased the rights to the documentary for $40 million, launching it in January. It received mixed reviews; nonetheless, Melania was quite pleased with the final product.
“I’m very proud of the film. People may like it, or they may not, and that’s their choice,” she expressed to CNN about the documentary. “We achieved what we set out to do. For myself, it’s already a success. I’m very proud of our accomplishment.”
Insights from the Latest Poll on Melania Trump as First Lady
As Donald Trump faced challenges in the polls leading up to the midterms, many were curious about Melania Trump’s public perception. A recent YouGov poll sheds some light.
The poll involved 2,255 adult citizens and was conducted online in separate surveys from February 2 – February 5 and February 3-5, 2026.
YouGov indicated that “A random sample (stratified by gender, age, race, education, geographic region, and voter registration) was selected from the 2019 American Community Survey. The data was weighted by gender, age, race, education, 2024 presidential vote, 2020 election turnout and presidential vote, baseline party affiliation, and current voter registration status.”
The results showed that Melania had a -16 approval rating, slightly lower than Jill Biden’s -9. Interestingly, Melania’s rating was better than Hilary Clinton’s -17.
Other First Ladies received noticeably higher approval ratings. For instance, Nancy Reagan scored +25, Lady Bird Johnson +23, Rosalynn Carter +32, and Barbara Bush +21. Michelle Obama’s score was +21, while Laura Bush’s was +19.
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis: The Most Beloved First Lady
However, top honors go to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, wife of President John F. Kennedy. Serving as First Lady from 1961 to 1963, she holds the highest approval rating at +56, according to the YouGov survey.
Interestingly, Melania Trump’s approval ratings were higher among Republicans than Democrats during the survey.
What are your thoughts on Melania Trump as the First Lady of the United States? Feel free to share your opinions below.
