Vice President JD Vance holds the lowest public approval rating of any modern vice president at this stage of their tenure, but historians generally reserve the title of “worst in history” for those who committed crimes or treason. [1]

Public polling indicates a historic level of unpopularity for Vance, while historical evaluations of presidential administrations base “worst” rankings on actions, corruption, and constitutional crises. [1, 2, 3, 4]

Public Approval and Polling Data

Vance has broken records for low public approval since taking office. Data shows significant public dissatisfaction: [1, 2]

• Historic Net Approval: Polling tracked by CNN dropped Vance’s net approval rating to -18 points. This is a sharp 21-point swing from the positive +3% rating he held at the beginning of his term. [1, 2, 3]
• Modern Comparisons: At similar points in their terms, modern predecessors held much higher positions: Dick Cheney (+37), Joe Biden (+4), Mike Pence (-7), and Kamala Harris (-13). [1]
• Dislike Factors: Public dissatisfaction stems from shifts in voter sentiment, policy issues, controversial past comments, and friction regarding international negotiations. Even within his own party, factional disputes have heavily impacted his numbers. [1, 2, 3]

How Historians Define the “Worst” Vice Presidents

While polling measures current voter sentiment, historians judge the “worst” vice presidents based on institutional failures, corruption, or betrayal. Historically, several vice presidents are ranked poorly due to severe legal and ethical violations: [1, 2]

• Spiro Agnew: Richard Nixon’s vice president resigned in disgrace in 1973. He pleaded no contest to tax evasion after the Department of Justice discovered he was accepting envelopes filled with cash bribes inside the White House. [1]
• Aaron Burr: Serving under Thomas Jefferson, Burr killed Alexander Hamilton in a duel while in office. He was later arrested and tried for treason after attempting to launch an illegal military expedition to establish an independent country in the Western U.S.
• John C. Calhoun: Serving under John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson, Calhoun actively championed the theory of nullification (that states could ignore federal laws) and resigned his post to aggressively defend the expansion of slavery, pushing the nation toward civil war.

While Vance’s low poll numbers make him the least popular modern vice president in tracking history, whether he is the “worst” depends on whether one is looking at immediate political unpopularity or historic misconduct. [1, 2]