Just when President Joe Biden made headlines for venting about his low poll numbers, he received another reason to fret on Monday, weeks before the start of the 2024 election year in which he is seeking a second term.
Monmouth University released the findings of its latest public opinion survey that showed Biden facing his worst-ever job performance review since becoming president: 34% of respondents approve of his performance, and 61% disapprove. Also found in the national survey, which stretched from November 30 to December 4, was how Americans give Biden poor marks in several policy areas — particularly with inflation (68% disapprove) and immigration (69% disapprove).
NATIONAL POLL: @POTUS Biden job rating drops to all time low since taking office.
34% approve
61% disapprovehttps://t.co/vx5I5jyeRR pic.twitter.com/eoOkvN4lfQ— MonmouthPoll (@MonmouthPoll) December 18, 2023
“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,” said Patrick Murray, director of the independent Monmouth University Polling Institute. “There is political danger in pushing a message that basically tells people their take on their own situation is wrong.”
The grim findings were disclosed hours after The Washington Post published a report citing insider sources that said Biden and first lady Jill Biden have complained to aides and friends for months about the president’s “dismal” numbers in his approval ratings and polls showing him behind in a potential general election rematch against former President Donald Trump. This reportedly included “stern words” after the National Thanksgiving Turkey Pardon in which Biden pressed aides on what his team and campaign were doing about his poll numbers.
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“We do not discuss the President’s private conversations one way or the other,” Andrew Bates, a White House spokesman, said in a statement to the news outlet. “The President and first lady meet regularly with their senior team for updates and to review plans.”
In addition to job performance, Biden is facing concerns about his fitness to serve a second term. Already the oldest person to be president at the age of 81, Biden would be 86 at the end of a second term. His tendency to lose his train of thought while speaking, along with moments caught on camera where he has tripped or fallen over, have spurred concerns about Biden’s ability to lead effectively within his own party.
Biden snapped at a reporter, saying, “That’s stupid,” when asked last month if he was too old to run again. The commander-in-chief also told donors that he was “not sure” he would be running for re-election in 2024 if Trump wasn’t also competing. Biden then suggested that “probably 50” other Democrats could defeat Trump in his place. On Sunday, in response to a question about polls showing him trailing Trump, Biden claimed people are viewing “the wrong polls.”