No one knows better than the Trumps that polls aren't always accurate. Still, Melania Trump may be happy to see the results of the latest poll on how the public views her.
A recent CNN/ORC poll found that 52% of Americans have a favorable view of FLOTUS. That number represents a significant increase from the 36% approval rating she held in the days leading up to her husband's inauguration in late January.
That’s an almost meteoric rise of 16 points in just a month and a half. It's especially interesting given that Melania has mostly avoided the spotlight (apart from making the occasional appearance for official events) since she assumed the role of first lady.
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Meanwhile, the same poll found that President Trump currently has a 45% approval rating.
As expected, the results fell along party lines: 86% of those who identify as Republican have a favorable view of FLOTUS; that number drops to 22% among Democrats.
According to CNN, the margin wasn’t as wide for former first lady Michelle Obama during her husband’s first months in office. In April 2009, 93% of Democrats and 50% of Republicans viewed her in a favorable light.
Still, the poll results are not atypical. In 2001, 75% of Republicans and 42% of Democrats held a favorable view of then-FLOTUS Laura Bush. And in the case of Hillary Clinton, during her husband's first term in 1994 about 85% of Democrats approved of her, while the number was only 34% for Republicans.
Another interesting thing to note about the data: Melania received higher approval ratings among men than women, with 58% of men polled saying they view the first lady favorably, compared to just 46% of women. This is a flip in the gender lines from her predecessor: 78% of women and 68% of men said they approved of Michelle Obama. The approval ratings of Laura Bush were split pretty evenly between men and women, at 55% and 56% respectively.
If history is any indication, it’s likely that the first lady's poll numbers will continue rise as the American public gets to know her better.