Trump touts Rasmussen poll showing 49 percent approval

President Trump boasted about his latest approval rating in a conservative-leaning poll on Saturday, pointing to the number as evidence that his political support is expanding beyond what it was in the 2016 election.

“Rasmussen just announced that my approval rating jumped to 49%, a far better number than I had in winning the Election, and higher than certain ‘sacred cows,’ ” Trump tweeted, without clarifying who he meant by “sacred cows.” He has previously compared his approval ratings to former President Obama’s in his first year in office. 

“Other Trump polls are way up also. So why does the media refuse to write this? Oh well, someday!” he continued.

Rasmussen just announced that my approval rating jumped to 49%, a far better number than I had in winning the Election, and higher than certain “sacred cows.” Other Trump polls are way up also. So why does the media refuse to write this? Oh well, someday!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 3, 2018

{mosads}

The president’s tweet referred to Rasmussen’s latest daily tracking poll, which marked his approval at 49 percent — up from 45 percent on Feb. 1. 

Obama had 50 percent approval in Rasmussen’s poll at the same point during his first year in office.

The conservative-leaning Rasmussen poll routinely pegs Trump’s approval higher than other daily tracking polls. According to Gallup’s latest data, from Jan. 28, Trump’s approval sat significantly lower, at 38 percent.

Obama had an average approval rating of 49.9 percent around the same time in his first term, according to the Real Clear Politics polling average.

Trump has suffered dwindling approval ratings throughout his first year in office, and has occasionally touted Rasmussen polls as a benchmark for gauging his support. 

Rasmussen’s latest approval number is the highest it has been for Trump since last June, when it pegged his approval at 50 percent.