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FACT BRIEF

Was Kamala Harris the most unpopular vice president since polling began?

By Tom Kertscher
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NO

At their peak, the unfavorability ratings of Republican vice presidents Dan Quayle (1989-93) and Dick Cheney (2001–09) exceeded that of Kamala Harris.

Republican U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden, who represents western Wisconsin, claimed July 29, 2024, that until a couple weeks earlier, Harris “was the most unpopular vice president” since polling began.

His staff did not reply to emails requesting evidence.

Polls commonly ask respondents whether they have a favorable or unfavorable opinion about a politician.

Experts cautioned that polling on vice presidents beyond recent decades is limited.

Among registered voters nationally, Quayle’s unfavorability peaked at 63% (ABC) and Cheney’s at 61% (Fox), according to the Roper Center for Public Opinion Research.

Harris’ peaked at 58% (YouGov) in September 2023.

Her unfavorability was 55% on July 15, two weeks before Van Orden’s claim.

Harris has been vice president since January 2021. She became the 2024 Democratic presidential nominee Aug. 5.

See a full discussion of this at Wisconsin Watch
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
omny.fm Guest: Congressman Derrick Van Orden - The Meg Ellefson Show 072924 - The Meg Ellefson Show
Google Docs Roper Center for Public Opinion Research email 8/7/24.docx
YouGov Kamala Harris favorability
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Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.