In a column in the November 28 edition of U.S. News & World Report, former presidential adviser David Gergen falsely claimed that Ronald Reagan “left office with the highest approval ratings of any retiring, two-term president.” In fact, President Clinton had approval ratings equal to or higher than Reagan's upon leaving office.

In his column, Gergen argued that President Bush needs to bring “fresh blood” to his administration to regain public trust. To illustrate, Gergen noted former President Reagan's response to the Iran-Contra scandal within his administration:

Ronald Reagan skillfully rebuilt his presidency after the Iran-Contra scandal nearly destroyed it in his second term. He went on television for a talk that was candid and gracious, made documents and aides available to Congress, brought in fresh blood, and reached out to one and all. Not everything went smoothly afterward, but Reagan left office with the highest approval ratings of any retiring, two-term president.

In fact, as Media Matters for America previously noted, Gallup reported that Clinton had an end-of-presidency approval rating of 66 percent compared with 63 percent for Reagan. The ABC News/Washington Post poll* showed Clinton with a 65 percent end-of-presidency approval rating compared with Reagan's 64 percent. And CBS News polls showed Clinton and Reagan tied at 68 percent.

*It is unclear whether the 64-percent approval rating for Reagan in the poll cited in the ABC News online article comes from an ABC News/Washington Post poll, as the article's explanation of polling methodology addresses only polling from the end of Clinton's second term.