Richard Nixon vs. Trump: Approval Ratings & Legacy (2026)

Richard Nixon is back in the headlines in April 2026 — not for a new political development, but as a historical yardstick for measuring just how unpopular a sitting president can become. CNN's chief data analyst Harry Enten sparked widespread conversation on April 1, 2026, when he declared that Donald Trump's approval rating among independent voters is now worse than Nixon's at the height of the Watergate scandal. Meanwhile, separate viral stories about Nixon's peculiar eating habits and his deep ties to Florida have rounded out a surprising cultural moment for the 37th president. Here's everything you need to know.

Trump's Approval Rating Compared to Nixon at Watergate

The comparison that put Nixon back in the news cycle came from CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten, who laid out a stark picture of Trump's second-term standing. According to Enten, Trump's net approval rating has hit a term-two low of -18 points, a dramatic fall from the +6 net approval he held in January 2025.

But the number that grabbed the most attention was among independent voters: Trump sits at a stunning -45 points with that bloc. Enten called this "the worst for any president at this point in term two, worse than Nixon (-36 points) at the height of Watergate." For context, George W. Bush registered -37 among independents during the depths of the Iraq War — and Trump is below that, too.

Enten described the trend as "Death Valley" — a sustained downward trajectory with little sign of recovery. The arc from January 2025 to early April 2026 is essentially a straight line pointing down, unusual even by the standards of second-term presidential politics, which historically tend to erode support but rarely this sharply or this fast.

The Nixon comparison resonates because Watergate is the canonical example of a presidency collapsing under its own weight. Nixon's approval never recovered after the scandal broke. Many political observers are now asking whether Trump's numbers follow a similar pattern — or whether they represent something historically unprecedented.

Who Was Richard Nixon? A Brief Political Biography

Richard Milhous Nixon served as the 37th President of the United States from January 1969 until his resignation on August 9, 1974 — the only U.S. president ever to resign from the office. Born on January 9, 1913, in Yorba Linda, California, Nixon rose from modest Quaker roots to become one of the most consequential and controversial figures in American political history.

Nixon's career spanned decades: he served as a congressman, a senator, and two terms as Vice President under Dwight D. Eisenhower before losing narrowly to John F. Kennedy in the 1960 presidential election. He mounted a successful comeback in 1968, winning the presidency and then again in 1972 in one of the largest electoral landslides in U.S. history — only to have his second term destroyed by the Watergate scandal.

His legacy is deeply complicated. Nixon opened diplomatic relations with China, signed key environmental legislation including the Clean Air Act and the creation of the EPA, and negotiated arms control agreements with the Soviet Union. At the same time, he oversaw the secret bombing of Cambodia, maintained the Vietnam War for years, and authorized — and then tried to cover up — a break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate complex in Washington, D.C.

Nixon died on April 22, 1994, at age 81. He remains one of the most analyzed presidents in American history, precisely because his record contains both significant achievements and a historic betrayal of public trust.

Nixon and Florida: A Presidential Connection

One of the lesser-known Nixon stories making the rounds in April 2026 involves his deep ties to Florida. A USA Today feature published April 2, 2026, highlighted how Nixon is one of just four presidents considered "resident presidents" with significant Florida ties — alongside Harry Truman, John F. Kennedy, and Donald Trump.

Nixon owned a home on Key Biscayne, a barrier island near Miami, which became known informally as the "Florida White House" during his presidency. The property served as a frequent retreat and a place for private meetings with advisors. Nixon's Key Biscayne home became particularly notable in his later years as part of the larger Watergate narrative — it was one of several presidential properties that investigators scrutinized during their inquiries into the misuse of government resources.

The four-president Florida connection reflects the state's enduring importance in American politics and culture. From Truman's beloved Little White House in Key West to Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida has served as a second home for commanders-in-chief across the decades.

Nixon's Strange Eating Habits: Cottage Cheese and Ketchup

On a lighter note, a viral piece published on March 31, 2026, reminded the internet of one of Nixon's most unusual personal quirks: his daily habit of eating cottage cheese topped with ketchup.

By all accounts, Nixon didn't particularly enjoy the combination. He ate it as a health measure, viewing cottage cheese as a low-calorie, high-protein food, and used ketchup — or occasionally black pepper — to make it palatable enough to get down. The habit was rooted in his Quaker upbringing in Southern California, where frugality and plain eating were cultural values, and in his persistent anxiety about his weight and physical appearance relative to the telegenic Kennedy.

The cottage cheese habit became almost ritualistic. Aides and staffers recalled Nixon eating it at his desk, and it appeared regularly on his White House lunch menu. Most poignantly, on August 8, 1974 — hours before Nixon went on national television to announce his resignation — his final White House lunch consisted of cottage cheese atop pineapple. It was a curiously mundane final meal before one of the most dramatic moments in American presidential history.

Food historians and presidential biographers have noted that Nixon's eating habits reflected a broader anxiety about image and health that defined his personal psychology. He famously lost the 1960 election in part, many argued, because he looked pale and sweaty next to Kennedy in their televised debate. That scar never fully healed, and his spartan diet was one expression of a lifelong obsession with controlling his appearance.

Nixon in Contemporary Political Comparisons

Beyond the approval rating data, Nixon's name has surfaced in other corners of the 2026 political conversation. Representative Darrell Issa drew parallels between Trump's prime-time address on Iran and Nixon's foreign policy approach, framing the comparison as a compliment — highlighting Nixon's strategic use of televised addresses to shape public opinion on major geopolitical events. Other House Republicans echoed similar praise, leaning into the Nixon-as-foreign-policy-master framing rather than the Watergate angle.

This split in how Nixon is being invoked — as either a cautionary tale about approval ratings and democratic norms, or as a model of bold foreign policy — illustrates why he remains such a complex and contested figure more than 50 years after his resignation. Nixon contains multitudes, and political actors across the spectrum continue to cherry-pick different aspects of his legacy to serve their arguments.

Frequently Asked Questions About Richard Nixon

Why is Richard Nixon trending in April 2026?

Nixon is trending primarily because CNN analyst Harry Enten compared Donald Trump's approval rating among independent voters (-45 points) to Nixon's during Watergate (-36 points), concluding that Trump's numbers are historically worse. Separately, viral stories about Nixon's Florida home and his cottage cheese-and-ketchup eating habits have added to the renewed attention.

What were Nixon's approval ratings during Watergate?

At the height of the Watergate scandal, Nixon's net approval rating among independent voters stood at approximately -36 points. His overall approval had collapsed from the highs of his 1972 landslide reelection to historic lows by the time he resigned in August 1974. According to CNN's Harry Enten, Nixon's -36 independent approval during Watergate was previously considered a floor for second-term presidential unpopularity — a floor Trump has now broken.

Why did Nixon resign from the presidency?

Nixon resigned on August 9, 1974, in the wake of the Watergate scandal, which involved the 1972 break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters and — more critically — Nixon's active participation in covering up the White House's connection to the break-in. Once tape recordings proved Nixon had directed the cover-up just days after the break-in, his support in Congress evaporated. Facing near-certain impeachment and removal from office, he became the first and only U.S. president to resign.

What was Nixon's connection to Florida?

Nixon owned a home on Key Biscayne, Florida, near Miami, which served as a presidential retreat and was frequently referred to as the "Florida White House." Along with Truman, JFK, and Trump, Nixon is considered one of four U.S. presidents with significant ties to the state of Florida.

Why did Nixon eat cottage cheese with ketchup?

Nixon ate cottage cheese with ketchup (or sometimes black pepper) as a health-conscious meal choice, viewing it as low-calorie and nutritious. He reportedly did not enjoy the taste but used condiments to make it more bearable. The habit was connected to his Quaker upbringing and his concern about his weight and appearance, particularly following his physically unfavorable contrast with John F. Kennedy in their 1960 presidential debates.

Conclusion

Richard Nixon's return to the cultural conversation in April 2026 is a reminder of how potent his legacy remains as a reference point for presidential crisis, political decline, and the fragility of public trust. Whether the comparison is statistical — Trump's approval ratings falling below Nixon's Watergate-era numbers — or human and anecdotal — a president eating cottage cheese and ketchup alone before going on television to resign — Nixon continues to serve as one of American history's most vivid examples of how far a presidency can fall.

The fact that his name is being invoked simultaneously as a warning, a foreign policy model, and a punchline about bad food combinations says everything about how complicated his legacy is. Nixon was brilliant and paranoid, successful and self-destructive. In an era when comparisons to Watergate are once again common political currency, understanding who Nixon actually was — and what his numbers actually looked like — matters more than ever.