CNN’s Van Jones said Friday that life for black Americans had not gotten better under President Joe Biden’s administration. In fact, he said that things had gotten worse since Biden took office last year.
Jones joined anchor John Berman on “New Day,” and he argued that the “disappointment factor” was taking its toll as inflation and other issues were souring black voters on Biden heading into the midterm elections.
CNN's Van Jones says the "day-to-day reality for Black folks hasn't improved" under Joe Biden.
"In fact, because of inflation and other things, [it's] gotten worse." pic.twitter.com/CvxOTiJszz
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) April 29, 2022
“Day-to-day reality for Black folks hasn’t improved,” Jones said, adding, “In fact, because of inflation and other things, it’s gotten worse — and so you’re starting to see that disappointment factor set in.”
“Do you think it will change the voting patterns?” Berman asked.
“I think that it may well,” Jones continued. “Also, don’t forget, you have had a concerted effort on the part of conservatives to recast the Republican Party and the party of the multi-racial working class.”
Jones mentioned a number of key issues that were especially important among black voters, namely police reform and voting rights — and he argued that many voters felt like they had done their part in helping to get President Biden elected but hadn’t gotten much in return with regard to their desired policy changes.
Recent polling appears to support Jones’ position as well. According to a Gallup poll released just two weeks ago — measuring Biden’s job approval at the one-year mark in his presidency against his approval rating just after taking office — the president’s loss of support from black voters has been dramatic if not precipitous.
For the first few months of his presidency, Biden’s average approval rating among all American adults hovered around 56% — but with one year under his belt, that average had dropped 14 points to 42%.
But when the numbers are broken down further, they reveal where Biden is losing the most support. And according to Gallup, his approval rating has dropped the fastest among younger Americans — specifically millennials and Generation Z — and among black and Hispanic voters.
Among millennials Biden’s approval rating has dropped 19 points (from 60% to 41%) and with Generation Z voters it has fallen 21 points (from 60% to 39%). Among black voters, Biden’s approval is down from 87% to 67% — a 20 point drop. Among Hispanic voters, Biden has lost 21 points — with his approval rating falling from 73% to 52% in the last year.