Less than nine months after taking office with the most votes ever received by a presidential candidate, President Joe Biden’s approval rating has hit a new low as a majority of those surveyed question his administration’s competence.
A Quinnipiac Poll released Thursday shows the 46th president’s job approval rating stands at 38% positive to 53% negative. This is the first time a majority of those asked are not satisfied with the job Biden’s administration is doing. A survey three weeks ago had his negatives at 50%. The 78-year-old former vice president got 80% approval from Democrats, but only 32% consent from independent voters and 4% from Republicans in the findings published Wednesday.
More than half of respondents — 55% versus 42% — believe Biden’s White House is not competent in its handling of the federal government. A breakdown of the issues show little faith in the longtime lawmaker either.
Biden scored particularly poorly in his handling of crowding at the U.S. border with Mexico, where 23% or respondents approved of his team’s performance and 67% did not. That was nearly identical to the administration’s numbers on immigration overall.
When it came to the economy, taxes, the military and foreign police, the president’s approval numbers were all in the 30s while his disapproval ratings were in the 50s. Even in his handling of coronavirus, an early priority to the administration, pollsters found 48% of Americans asked thought Biden was doing a good job, while 50% were displeased. In May, 65% of respondents told pollsters they were pleased with Biden’s handling of the pandemic.
What were regarded as strong suits for the commander-in-chief in the spring are no longer seen that way in the fall. In April 52% of Americans approved of his leadership skills. Now, 56% do not and only 41% judged him favorably in that regard.
That same month, 51% of respondents found President Biden honest, to 42% who did not. Those numbers now stand at 56% disfavor to only 44% appreciation. Most Americans still believe Biden “cares about average Americans,” but by a slim margin of 49% to 48%. In April, 58% of the country reportedly felt that he did while 38% disagreed.
Quinnipiac University Polling Analyst Tim Malloy said Biden’s numbers are reminiscent of those seen by his predecessor.
“Battered on trust, doubted on leadership, and challenged on overall competency, President Biden is being hammered on all sides as his approval rating continues its downward slide to a number not seen since the tough scrutiny of the Trump administration,” he said.
The Quinnipiac Polling Institute’s study included 1,326 adults in the U.S. and took place on the first four days of October. Its margin for error is 2.7%.
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