Poll: Joe Biden’s Approval Rating Collapses to 39 Percent, Lowest of Presidency

President Joe Biden pauses as he speaks about the bombings at the Kabul airport that kille
AP Photo/Evan Vucci

President Joe Biden’s approval rating has collapsed to 39 percent, the lowest point of his presidency, according to a Wednesday Economist/YouGov poll.

While only 39 percent approve of Biden’s job performance, 49 percent disapprove, a drop of six points in one week.

Overall, Biden’s evaporating approval numbers are primarily due to Democrats, who have begun abandoning him amid the challenges of inflation, Afghanistan, and coronavirus. Nearly nine out of ten Democrats had approved of Biden for almost half of his first year, but Democrats have since dropped support of the president by nine percent in one week (77 percent from 86 percent).

Biden is not just suffering from Democrats’ low approval. Only 39 percent of independents approve of Biden’s performance. Nine percent of Republicans feel the same way.

With respect to specific issues, a greater portion of Americans disapprove of Biden’s handing of coronavirus for the first time. Forty-five percent disapprove and 42 percent approve.

On jobs and the economy, 40 percent approve and 47 percent disapprove. “Only 16% of American adults now think the economy is improving, while nearly three times as many, 44%.”

In addition, a plurality of Americans also think Biden is to blame for the fledging economy that is reeling from inflation. About 45 percent blame Biden and 26 percent blame former President Trump.

Regarding Afghanistan, only 33 percent of Americans approve of Biden management, while 55 percent disapprove, including 25 percent of Democrats.

Biden’s lowest polling of his presidency comes as Democrat pollsters and strategists have begun to vocalize their frustration with Biden administration. A strategist told Politico:

When Biden was elected, it was supposed to be, ‘Oh, the adults are back in the room to take charge. It turns out, we can’t do anything. Any Democratic strategist who thinks this is not going to impact the midterms or impact Biden being reelected, clearly they don’t know what the f— they’re talking about.

Former Harry Reid adviser and Democrat consultant Megan Jones said Biden’s presidency feels like an “apocalypse sometimes.”

“It feels like the apocalypse sometimes when you wake up and turn on the news,” said Jones. “You’ve got Delta raging, you’ve got a fire that’s the size of New York City, and you’ve got floods. It’s all too much for everybody.”

The poll was conducted between September 4 – 7 with 1,500 respondents. The margin of error is approximately 2.8 percent.

Follow Wendell Husebø on Twitter @WendellHusebø 

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