Hillary Clinton’s popularity has taken a sharp downward turn since the 2016 election, according to a poll released this week by The Wall Street Journal and NBC News.
The poll indicates that only 27 percent of those asked viewed her somewhat favorably — compared to 30 percent last August. An average of polls rated her favorability at 42.3 percent in November of 2016.
In contrast, her unfavorable rating has remained virtually unchanged in the 18 months since the election. Compared to 54.4 percent who viewed Clinton negatively in November of 2016, the new poll shows 52 percent having an unfavorable view of her.
President Donald Trump had a similar unfavorable rating in the same poll, with 53 percent of those polled viewing him negatively. However, his positive numbers bested Clinton’s in spite of nearly continuous unfavorable news coverage. Trump was viewed favorably by 35 percent of respondents.
A lot has changed since 2013, when a Quinnipiac poll found Clinton to be the most popular politician in the United States, even besting then-President Barack Obama. Just one year later, Clinton tied with Barbara Bush as the “most admired” first lady in the last quarter century. Then-first lady Michelle Obama was ranked third.