President Donald Trump has a more favorable net favorability rating than New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, according to a new Harvard CAPS/Harris poll, though both men are underwater among voters as two of the most recognizable faces of their respective parties. Trump has a net favorability rating of -8 percent, with 42 percent of registered voters viewing him favorably and 50 percent unfavorably, according to the poll. Mamdani, meanwhile, has a net favorability rating of -14 percent, with 25 percent viewing him favorably and 39 percent unfavorably.
The poll surveyed 2,100 registered voters from August 28-30, 2026, and has a margin of error of 2.1 percent. The numbers are notable because Trump and Mamdani have become defining figures for the Republican and Democratic parties, respectively. Trump has reshaped the GOP around his Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement, while Mamdani's rapid rise has made him one of the most prominent figures associated with the Democratic Party's progressive wing.
Newsweek reached out to the White House and Mamdani's office via email on Wednesday for comment. The Harvard CAPS/Harris Poll found that 51 percent of voters believe the Democratic Party is being taken over by the far left, while 45 percent believe the Republican Party is being taken over by the far right. Mamdani's rise has nevertheless represented a significant shift within the Democratic Party.
His progressive agenda and upset victory over establishment Democrat Andrew Cuomo in New York's mayoral primary have made him a national political figure, while also fueling debate over whether Democrats should embrace his brand of politics or distance themselves from it. Trump faces a similar dynamic on the Republican side, where his continued dominance has made it somewhat difficult for the party to separate itself from his agenda and political style. The result is a striking political paradox: Trump and Mamdani may be among the clearest faces of America's increasingly polarized parties, but neither is viewed favorably by a majority of Americans, according to the new poll.
As both parties look toward the 2026 midterm elections, the question may be whether voters want more of the political movements these two men represent—or something different altogether. Grant Davis Reeher, a professor of political science at Syracuse University, told Newsweek via email on Wednesday, "This probably reflects the fact that President Trump and the Republicans have made socialism and Mamdani a central target of their negative messaging in recent weeks. It’s having an effect, apparently." "Mamdani is also actually making changes, and has had some glitches with staff, etc., and as those mount that will take some shine off of the 'young phenom' effect he’s been enjoying.
But that doesn’t explain the national numbers, because most Americans don’t follow day-to-day policy and politics in NYC," he added. When asked if Americans view both Trump and Mamdani as leaders of their party, Reeher later said, "The president is always the de facto leader of his party. Trump is no different, but there are divisions within the ranks, on both the Iran war and the tariffs.
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