Biden Approval Rating Nears Lowest Point in Presidency

Ben Kew reporting for RedState 

President Joe Biden’s approval rating has dipped to near its lowest level of his presidency as his administration fails to provide solutions for the economic turmoil the country is experiencing.

A survey conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research reveals that there have been slight fluctuations in public support for Biden in recent months. The latest poll shows his approval rating at 38 percent, which is down from 45 percent in February and 41 percent in January.

Notably, his approval ratings hit their lowest point of his presidency at 36 percent in July 2022 when the increasing prices of gas, food, and other essentials started to affect households in the United States.

The AP pollsters report:

Interviews with poll respondents suggest the public has mixed feelings about Biden, who is expected to announce a reelection bid by this summer. When it comes to the president, people generally do not swing between the extremes of absolute loyalty and aggressive loathing that have been a feature of this era’s divided politics.

They also explained that although Biden has passed various ambitious spending bills, they have failed in the most important goal of reducing inflation, as many feel the economy is in serious danger:

The president has taken ambitious steps to boost the U.S. economy, with his $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package from 2021, infrastructure investments, support for computer chip plants and taxes on corporations and the wealthy to help fund health care and a shift away from fossil fuels. But those efforts involve multiyear investments that have yet to provide much optimism to a public dealing with annual inflation at 6%.

The president and other administration officials have toured the country to promote their achievements. But to many, the economy feels as though it could be on a knife’s edge after the recent bank failures, as well as the debt limit showdown with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., that could put the U.S. government at risk of defaulting. Just 31% approve of Biden’s stewardship of the national economy, about where it’s been over the course of the last year.

His handling of the nation’s economic fortunes has been a weak point at least since late 2021, when the inflation that the administration had suggested was transitory became a bigger pain point for businesses and families.

Biden’s overall approval and his approval on the economy differ significantly among Democrats. Specifically, 76 percent of Democrats approve of his job as president, while 63 percent approve of his handling of the economy. Republicans do not approve of Biden on either issue.

His approval ratings are dragged down by younger Democrats, particularly those under 45, who remain far less positive about his leadership. Among this group, only 54 percent approve of his economic leadership and 66 percent approve of him overall, compared to 72 percent and 85 percent, respectively, among older Democrats.

Only a quarter (25 percent) of Americans think the national economy is good and that the country is headed in the right direction. These numbers have remained relatively stable in recent months.

Biden’s ratings for foreign policy (39 percent) and climate change (41 percent) are consistent with his overall approval ratings. While 74 percent of Democrats and 9 percent of Republicans approve of his foreign policy, 67 percent of Democrats and 17 percent of Republicans approve of his handling of climate change.

The poll was a survey of 1,081 individuals carried out from March 16-20 employing a sample selected from NORC’s AmeriSpeak Panel, which uses a probability-based approach to ensure an accurate representation of the U.S. population. The margin of error is ±4.0 percentage points.