A new poll has shown that just 34% of Americans approve of the US president’s performance
FILE PHOTO © AP / Andrew Harnik
Only about three in ten Americans believe that US President Joe Biden is giving adequate attention to the issues that concern them most, while a record low of 34% approves of his overall job performance, a new national poll has revealed.
The Monmouth University poll, released on Monday, showed that Biden’s approval rating has dropped ten percentage points in the past five months and is at the lowest level of his presidency. The percentage of US adults who disapprove of his performance has more than doubled since he took office in January 2021, to 61%.
The latest polling results come at a time when Biden is falling behind former President Donald Trump in his bid to win reelection in 2024 amid rising voter concerns over such issues as an illegal immigration crisis and inflation. Just 31% of Americans believe Biden is giving enough attention to the most pressing issues, compared with 65% who say he’s not doing enough, the Monmouth survey showed.
Only 26% of US adults approve of Biden’s immigration policies, while 28% give a thumbs-up to his handling of inflation. Asked about the state of their own finances, 44% of respondents said they are struggling, double the last rate recorded during Trump’s term as president. By comparison, only 12% said their financial situation is improving.
Monmouth’s polling director, Patrick Murray, noted that Biden is touting improvements in economic statistics under his watch at a time when most Americans are still suffering from post-pandemic inflation. “There is a political danger in pushing a message that basically tells people their take on their own situation is wrong,” he said.
Vice President Kamala Haris has a similarly low approval rating, at 35%, while the US Congress is rated at just 17%, down from 26% a year ago, the poll showed.
Only one in five Americans believes the country is heading in the “right direction,” versus 69% who say it’s on the “wrong track,” the survey found. The portion of respondents saying the nation is going in the right direction has dropped by eight percentage points in the past year.
Even some prominent Democrats have raised questions about whether Biden should seek reelection amid troubling poll results. David Axelrod, chief political strategist for former President Barack Obama’s election campaigns, said last month that Biden should consider dropping out of the 2024 race.
