Americans Express Discontent with Handling of Immigration and Inflation
The president’s approval rating has reached its lowest point in Monmouth polling since taking office nearly three years ago. According to the survey, Americans gave President Biden particularly low marks for his handling of immigration (26%) and inflation (28%).
“The Biden administration keeps touting their infrastructure investments and a host of positive economic indicators. Those data points may be factual, but most Americans are still smarting from higher prices caused by post-pandemic inflation. This seems to be what’s driving public opinion,” highlighted Patrick Murray, director of the poll.
Murray emphasized that “there is certainly an element of partisanship in how people frame their own financial situation, which is based in part on who occupies the White House. But even a good chunk of Biden’s Democratic base wish he’d start paying more attention to their top priorities than he is now.”
Approval Rating: A Key Indicator of Performance and Popularity
An approval rating serves as a crucial measure of a president’s performance, clout, and popularity, especially when seeking a second term. As 81-year-old Biden gears up for reelection in 2024, the release of the Monmouth poll adds to the scrutiny surrounding his presidency.
This survey follows a Wall Street Journal poll two weeks prior, which revealed Biden’s approval rating at an all-time low of 37%. However, a recent Fox News national poll released on Sunday indicated Biden’s approval rating at 43%.
Biden began his presidency with approval ratings hovering in the low to mid 50s. However, his numbers started to decline in August 2021 due to criticism of his handling of the turbulent withdrawal from Afghanistan and a surge in COVID-19 cases among the unvaccinated. Additionally, soaring inflation since the summer of 2021 and the surge of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border have contributed to the decline in the president’s approval rating.
Biden’s Ratings Compared to Predecessors
Biden’s current approval ratings place him far below his three most recent two-term predecessors – former Presidents Clinton, George W. Bush, and Obama – at this point in their presidencies. All three successfully ran for re-election. The only recent president with similarly negative approval ratings to Biden’s was his immediate predecessor, Donald Trump, who was defeated by Biden in the 2020 election.
At one point, Biden had the upper hand over Trump in 2024 rematch surveys. However, Trump has since gained an advantage over his successor in most polls, starting in October.
When asked by reporters why he was trailing behind Trump in the latest surveys, Biden replied, “You’re reading the wrong polls.”
The Monmouth University poll, conducted from November 30th to December 4th, surveyed 803 adult Americans by telephone. The survey has an overall sampling error of plus or minus 4.8 percentage points.