As President Donald Trump’s unpopularity with the American public continues to be reflected in approval polls, Kelsey Grammer has a much rosier outlook, saying in a recent interview that the president will be remembered as one of the best in U.S. history.
In a recent interview with the British talk radio station LBC, the Republican “Frasier” star said Trump loved America and predicted the president will “probably” be remembered as one of the best leaders in the country's history.
“Because nobody really stood up for America in quite some time in the presidency,” Grammer said.
Grammer, 71, also praised how he perceives Trump responds to critics.
“He says if somebody comes at him, if they come at him with hate, which they really have done, he just
sends it right back at them,” he said. “And I think that throws them off.”
Grammer's comments also follow an interview in Us Weekly, published June 24, in which he admitted that he has "wrestled" with the idea of running for political office.
"I would consider it. It would possibly tick that box for me, in terms of the service I feel I should have given to my fellow man – to my fellow countrymen – that I missed in the military," Grammer said. "Maybe (running for office) would be the way to do it."
The "Cheers" actor previously claimed that being a registered Republican is the "worst thing you can be" in the entertainment industry, saying during a February appearance on the Megyn Kelly Show that "I’ve lost some friends through the last few years, but I’ve gained others." He added he believes it's "not popular" for people with different political values to find middle ground.
Polls tell a different story
Despite Grammer’s prediction of Trump’s legacy, recent national polls offer a less-than-stellar outlook for the president's popularity with Americans.
In a new Focaldata/Financial Times poll released over Labor Day weekend, the president hit a new record low, as only 32% of Americans said they approved of Trump’s job performance. This performance was three percentage points worse than the same poll done in August.
According to Focaldata/Financial Times, Trump’s 32% approval is also the worst the president has seen since the poll began tracking it in May.
Trump’s approval with Republicans also slipped by 2 percentage points, down to 72%.
Trump ranks himself top US president
Only days before Grammer’s prediction, Trump echoed a similar sentiment as he updated his ranking of U.S. presidents in a post on Truth Social.
The initial ranking appeared on Trump's Truth Social account Aug. 27 and listed the 80-year-old as "The Greatest," with Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson on the next tier down, labeled "Great."
The newest ranking, posted Sept. 6, added several former presidents who were absent from the first list, including Ronald Reagan, John F. Kennedy, Gerald Ford and George W. Bush, among others. Reagan, long known as a conservative icon by many, was placed in the "Near Great" tier.
What do polling averages show?
While individual polls vary, major polling averages continue to show Trump in negative territory overall:
- RealClearPolitics (Sept. 9): 39.6% approve, 57.1% disapprove
- New York Times (Sept. 9): 38% approve, 58% disapprove
- Silver Bulletin (Sept. 9): 38.4% approve, 58% disapprove
USA TODAY’s Gabe Hauari & KiMi Robinson contributed to this report.
Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at fernando.cervantes@usatodayco.com and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kelsey Grammer says Trump may go down as one of the best presidents
