JD Vance’s tenure as Vice President, commencing in January, has been marked by a consistent and notable decline in his public approval rating, reflecting a complex interplay of political dynamics and shifting voter sentiment.
Upon his inauguration on January 20, the Vice President’s favorability stood at 43 percent among registered voters, with 51 percent holding an unfavorable view, resulting in an initial net approval rating of -8. This baseline quickly began to erode as his early months in office progressed.
By August 1, Vance’s standing had demonstrably worsened, with his favorability dipping to 42 percent and unfavorability climbing to 54 percent, expanding his net disapproval to -12 points. This downward trajectory was not an isolated incident but a consistent pattern observed across various reputable polls.
Multiple polling organizations corroborated this trend; Atlas reported a fall in Vance’s favorability from 49 percent in January to 44 percent in July, concurrently with a rise in unfavorability to 55 percent. Similarly, YouGov data indicated a decline from 39 percent favorable and 45 percent unfavorable in January to 37 percent favorable and 51 percent unfavorable by July.
The diminishing JD Vance approval rating appears to stem from a sharply polarized political landscape, where his appeal consolidates among conservative voters while simultaneously eroding among moderates, liberals, younger voters, and various communities of color. This demographic divergence highlights the deepening partisan divides impacting voter sentiment.
Despite the overall decline, the Vice President maintains robust support within key demographics crucial to the Republican base, particularly among older and white voters. Civiqs polling shows 50 percent of white voters view him favorably, with little change in YouGov data, while he registers 48 percent favorability among both the 50-to-64 and 65+ age groups.
The racial gap in his political polling is stark: Civiqs data reveals only 10 percent of Black voters view Vance favorably, with 85 percent holding an unfavorable view. YouGov further illustrates this decline, showing Black voter favorability dropping from 26 percent in January to 16 percent in July, and unfavorable views surging to 65 percent. Hispanic voters also trended more negatively across both surveys, underscoring a broader pattern of disengagement among communities of color in his vice president role.
Beyond demographic shifts, the broader economic climate, marked by rising inflation and a slowdown in job creation, potentially contributes to the shifting approval rating. Additionally, Vance’s public comments regarding the Epstein allegations, where he dismissed reports implicating former President Trump, have generated unusual tension between him and Trump supporters, further impacting public perception and his overall US politics standing.
These comprehensive polling trends suggest that while Vance solidifies his base, his ability to expand his appeal beyond core conservative voters faces significant hurdles, pointing to a challenging path forward in the current political environment.