Barack Obama will leave office as one of the most popular presidents in history

Impact

President Barack Obama will leave office on Friday as one of the most popular presidents since Franklin D. Roosevelt, according to a spate of new polls released Wednesday.

Obama ends his two terms in the White House with a 60% approval rating, according to surveys from CNN and ABC/Washington Post — his highest since the early days of his presidency back in 2009.

That 60% approval rating makes Obama the fourth most popular outgoing president in modern history, according to the ABC/Washington Post survey, behind Roosevelt, Bill Clinton and Ronald Reagan. 

In contrast, Obama's predecessor, former President George W. Bush, left office with a 31% approval rating, according to CNN.

Obama's approval is in stark contrast to President-elect Donald Trump, who enters office with approval ratings at a historic low. Just 40% of Americans view Trump favorably as he prepares to take the oath of office, according to a CNN/ORC poll.