President Joe Biden’s approval rating among Democrats sank to a new record low last week in a recent Gallup poll, which analysts suggested was driven by his unwavering support for Israel following the terrorist attacks by Hamas earlier this month.
According to the poll released Thursday, approximately 75% of Democrat respondents approve of Biden’s presidency — marking an 11-point drop from last month’s poll. Meanwhile, responses from Independents dropped 4 points from September, giving the president approximately 35% approval from the surveyed group.
Republican respondents, however, remain unchanged about Biden’s leadership, showing only a 5% approval rating, according to the poll.
Overall, Biden’s approval rating dropped to 37% — a 4-point decrease from the previous poll.
Megan Brenan, a Gallup research consultant, wrote of the poll results that the president’s “immediate and decisive” support displayed for Israel resulted in “Democrats’ worst assessment of the president since he took office” and likewise matches an overall personal low for Biden.
“The Israeli-Palestinian conflict comes at a time when Americans remain pessimistic about the economy, the Biden administration is struggling to deal with increasing numbers of migrants attempting to enter the country, and debate continues about how much aid to provide to Ukraine in its war with Russia,” Brenan wrote. “As events in the Middle East continue to unfold and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza worsens, Biden’s guidance on Israel could affect not only the outcome of the war but also how he is viewed at home.”
Gallup published the poll after surveying 1,009 respondents with a margin of error of 4 percentage points. The results came two weeks after Hamas launched a deadly terrorist attack on Israel that left more than 1,400 dead, 5,200+ more wounded, and 200+ people kidnapped, according to reports.
Biden aligned himself with roughly 68% of U.S. citizens who still largely support Israel, according to the poll.
The GOP-led House got back to business under the leadership of new Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) on Wednesday by overwhelmingly approving a resolution in support of Israel in its war on Hamas, which passed by a 412-10 vote in a show of bipartisanship.
Nine Democrats, including members of the leftist “Squad,” voted against the resolution.
Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), the sole Palestinian-American member of Congress, claimed the resolution “is not a serious examination of the root causes of the violence we are witnessing and doubles down on decades of failed policy.”
She called on the House to pass her “Ceasefire Now Resolution,” supported by other leftist members who opposed the measure.
Lydia Saad, the director of U.S. social research at Gallup, reportedly wrote about the poll that “regardless of the reasons that Democrats’ (and, to a lesser extent, independents’) views have changed on the conflict, majorities of all generational and party groups still view Israel favorably and look more favorably on Israel than on the Palestinian Authority.”
“This suggests that while rank-and-file Democrats may want Palestinians’ needs addressed, they will want solutions that respect Israel’s needs as well,” Saad added, according to the National Review.
Biden’s latest approval rating more or less matches former presidents Donald Trump’s 40.7% and Barack Obama’s 41% approval rating during the 11th quarter into their respective terms in the White House.
Daniel Chaitin contributed to this report.