WASHINGTON: US President Joe Biden’s approval rating fell to its lowest level in nearly two years this month, a warning sign for his re-election bid, a Ipsos poll showed.
The four-day poll, which ended Monday, showed just 36% of Americans approve of Biden’s performance as president, down from 38% in April. It was a return to the lowest approval rating of his presidency since July 2022. While the drop this month was within 3 percentage points, it could bode poorly for Biden when he faces Republican Donald Trump in the November 5 presidential elections.
Democrat Biden is broadly tied with Trump in national polls asking voters how they will vote. But Trump has a slight lead in many state polls over Biden, who is seen as the most likely to determine the winner in the American Electoral College.
The poll revealed Biden’s weaknesses as well as a few strengths. The state of the economy was perceived as the main problem, which 23% of respondents identified as the country’s most important problem. About 21% saw political extremism as the main problem, and 13% chose immigration.
About 40% of survey respondents said Trump, who was president from 2017 to 2021, had better policies for the US economy, compared to 30% who chose Biden, while the rest said they didn’t know or didn’t answer the question.
Trump had a significant lead on immigration, with 42% of respondents preferring his approach on the issue, while 25% chose Biden.
Biden had a modest advantage on the question of political extremism, with 34% of respondents choosing the president’s approach and 30% saying Trump was better on the issue.
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Respondents said they think Trump has a better approach to foreign conflicts and terrorism, with 36% favouring Trump in this area, compared to 29% who favour Biden.
The state of the US economy looms as one of the bigger factors weighing on Biden’s re-election hopes.
Voters have been hit by years of rapidly rising consumer prices, even as inflation has slowed considerably in recent months and the unemployment rate has been below 4% for more than two years. Voters are also worried about Biden’s age, 81 years.
The poll released Tuesday did not ask whether Americans approve of Biden’s support for Israel’s war effort in Gaza, which has sharply divided Democrats.
Trump, 77, is facing four criminal charges, including the New York one, which is expected to end next week. Trump on Tuesday decided not to testify in the case, which includes allegations that he falsified business records, bringing his defence to a swift conclusion and clearing the way for jurors to begin deliberations next week. Two other pending lawsuits are connected to his bid to overturn his loss to Biden in the 2020 presidential election.
