New poll: Biden approval rating sinks to 40%

• A recent Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll revealed that President Joe Biden’s approval rating has dropped to a new low of 40%.
• The poll reflected Americans’ disapproval of Biden’s handling of several issues such as inflation and Russia’s war on Ukraine.
• About 77% of self-identified Democrats approved of his job performance while only 10% of self-identified Republicans and 27% of independents showed approval.

The public approval rating of U.S. President Joe Biden has fallen to a new low of 40% this week, a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll revealed.

The low numbers may serve as a warning sign for the Democratic Party as it seeks to maintain control of Congress in the Nov. 8 election.

The Reuters/Ipsos poll was conducted online in English throughout the United States on March 21 and 22. Responses were gathered from a total of 1,005 adults, among which were 432 Democrats and 366 Republicans. It has a credibility interval (the measure of precision) of 4 percentage points.

The national poll revealed that more than half (54%) of Americans disapprove of his job performance. The low numbers come amid the country’s struggles with high inflation and as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine reaches its one-month mark.

Biden’s approval rating fell by three percentage points from the previous week. His numbers mirror that of his Republican predecessor, Donald Trump, who also had an approval rating of 40% in mid-March in his second year in office.

Trump’s approval rating had sunk as low as 33%, which happened in December 2017.

The top concerns among poll respondents were the economy, war, and foreign conflicts.

Biden’s ratings started dropping in mid-August amid the rise in COVID-19 deaths and the U.S. military’s chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Biden had aimed to lower partisan divisions following Trump’s polarizing time in office, but Americans remain divided under his administration.

About 77% of self-identified Democrats showed approval of Biden’s job performance, but only 10% of self-identified Republicans and 27% of independents provided a positive rating.

With Democrats holding a thin majority in the House of Representatives and Senate, losing their control in the upcoming election could bring a stop to Biden’s legislative plans.

Source: Reuters