Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts is the most popular federal official in the country, according to a new Gallup survey of top U.S. leaders.
Roberts, who was nominated to be chief justice by former President George W. Bush in 2005, has a 60% approval rating, the poll found, while just 34% disapprove of the job he’s doing. Roberts was the only leader in the poll who received bipartisan support, with 64% approval among independents, 57% approval among Republicans and 55% approval among Democrats.
The poll asked more than 800 U.S. adults about 11 high-profile leaders in the federal government and found opinions on many public figures were sharply split by party.
“The strongly partisan cast to most of the ratings is expected in today’s political environment,” Gallup director of U.S. social research Lydia Saad wrote. “But the fact that half of the leaders receive higher approval than disapproval from Americans as a whole is evidence of some national harmony.”
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell was the second most popular official in the poll, at 53%. President Joe Biden nominated Powell for a second four-year term as chair last month. Powell, a Republican, was first nominated by former President Donald Trump. Biden said in a statement at the time that Powell and vice chair Lael Brainard had taken “decisive action” to “help steer us through the worst downturn in modern American history and put us on the path to recovery.”
The third most popular federal official was the nation’s top doctor, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease director Anthony Fauci, at 52%. Though a majority of Americans approve of the job Fauci’s doing, his image has been highly politicized and his approval is driven by 85% support among Democrats. Meanwhile, just 19% of Republicans approve of Fauci, and elected Republicans including Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky and Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida have called for Fauci to be fired.
No other official had an approval over 50%, though Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Attorney General Merrick Garland came close and within the ±4 margin of error, at 49%.
Fauci was the most popular figure among Democrats, while House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy was the most popular figure among Republicans, with a 71% Republican approval rating.
The poll also found Vice President Kamala Harris has slightly higher approval and disapproval than Biden. Harris had a 44% approval rating in the poll, while Biden clocked in at 43%, while disapproval was 54% and 51% respectively.
The most unpopular public official in the poll was Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, with a 34% approval rating and a 63% disapproval rating. McConnell is set to return as Senate Majority Leader should Republicans gain at least one seat in next year’s midterm election.