It’s Wednesday, September 8th, and this is your Morning Wire. Listen to the full podcast here.
1) Biden Approval Rating Plummets
The Topline: Following months of turmoil in Afghanistan and rising economic uncertainty at home, President Joe Biden’s approval ratings have taken a significant dip in numerous polls.
Quote Of The Day:
“People want this pandemic over and they want the economy to fully reopen. Until that happens, I think you’re gonna see the President’s poll numbers suffer.”
– Alex Conant, he’s a political strategist and polling expert at Firehouse Strategies
Photo by OLIVIER DOULIERY/AFP/Contributor via Getty Images
Biden Approval Ratings
According to Real Clear Politics, President Biden’s approval rating is low, with 49% of Americans disapproving of his performance as president, and only 45% approving.
One month ago, 50% approved and only 44% disapproved, whereas four months ago, Biden was at 54% approval and 41% disapproval.
Afghanistan And Inflation
According to many pollsters, the two main reasons for Biden’s drop in approval rating are Afghanistan and inflation.
The majority of Americans view Biden as responsible for the situation in Afghanistan and in the last month, there’s been around a 20-point drop in the number of Americans who approve of his foreign policy.
For the first four months of his presidency, Biden was earning high marks for his economic policies, but now only 45% of Americans support his handling of the economy, while 50% disapprove.
What It Means For 2022
According to experts, presidential approval ratings are often helpful in predicting voter turnout for the party in power, which could mean trouble for Democrats come 2022.
One batch of polls this week surveyed voters in swing districts currently held by Democrats and found Biden’s approval rating is 7 points lower than his disapproval rating.
Bottom Line: Historically, whichever party controls the White House struggles in midterms — regardless of a president’s popularity. If these approval numbers hold at current levels, we’re told Democrat members of Congress might begin distancing themselves from Biden ahead of the midterms.
John Moore/Staff via Getty Images
2) Border Deaths Reach Record Levels
The Topline: More people have died trying to enter the United States illegally this year than any year in U.S. history.
“That is the message to the…undocumented migrant population, is don’t cross. It is not worth risking your life.”
– Del Rio Sector Border Patrol Chief Austin Skero
Record Levels
In 2020, Border Patrol agents found the remains of 253 people near the U.S.–Mexico border. Through July of this year, Border Patrol agents have recovered 383 bodies.
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection has had more than 1.5 million encounters at the border so far this year.
Causes Of Death
The vast majority of deaths result from the dangers of crossing the desert during the summer when temperatures reach up to 110 degrees. The leading causes of death are heat stroke, exposure and dehydration.
Human Smuggling Factor
Instead of having foot guides accompany groups to the border, human smugglers are now guiding people by cell phones, making it more likely for people to get lost.
Human smugglers are also notoriously indifferent to human life and have no qualms about leaving behind those who can’t keep up.
Border Patrol Response
The U.S. Border Patrol made a record number of rescues this year — more than 10,000 people, which is more than the previous two years combined.
They’ve built numerous rescue beacons — which are high-visibility towers, topped with flags with a solar-powered rescue button which summons emergency responders. They’ve also set up nearly 1,000 emergency placards in the Rio Grande Valley alone, which give migrants instructions on how to call 911. They’re also telling would-be migrants not to enter the country illegally.
The Bottom Line: When policies lead people to believe they will be able to enter the United States once they arrive at the southern border, more attempt to make the dangerous journey and lose their lives in the process.
Chelsea Guglielmino/FilmMagic/Contributor via Getty Images
3) Time’s Up Board Resigns
The Topline:
This weekend, the entire board of directors for Hollywood anti-harassment group, Time’s Up, resigned from their posts.
Quote Of The Day:
“The idea that powerful Hollywood women could strike a loud and decisive blow on behalf of gender equity has died… Everything that made Time’s Up what it was has quietly been dissolved.”
–Sharon Waxman, Editor-In-Chief of The Wrap
Background
One of Andrew Cuomo’s staffers, a woman named Lindsay Boylan, claimed he touched her inappropriately and tried to kiss her. Over the course of the investigation, it was revealed that Time’s Up’s then-CEO Tina Tchen and legal fund chairwoman Roberta Kaplan advised Cuomo on a letter smearing Boylan.
A group of employees and volunteers later published a letter blasting the two female empowerment leaders, but the celebrity women involved with Time’s Up remained quiet.
Kaplan resigned, but Tchen, a former Obama staffer, stayed on. The Washington Post later obtained leaked texts showing Tchen not only advised Cuomo, but directed staff to “stand down” from issuing any statements of support for Boylan, leading Tchen to resign.
Over The Weekend: Hollywood stars and power players who made Time’s Up an industry force — such as Eva Longoria, Shonda Rhimes and Ashley Judd — recently announced they were resigning from the board of directors.
Is Time’s Up Over?
The organization still has money and it could continue for a while in some form, but its reputation has been destroyed and any leadership it still has is in shambles.
Tetra Images via Getty Images
Other Stories We’re Tracking
Seattle Police Vaccine Mandate
Over 200 Seattle police officers may be forced to resign over their refusal to comply with the city’s vaccine mandate. Mayor Jenny Durkan’s mandate requires all city employees to be vaccinated by October 18th or face termination. Seattle lost around 260 officers in the last 18 months following the push to defund the police.
Satanic Group Fights Texas Pro-Life Law
The Satanic Temple organization is attempting to use the Texas Religious Freedom Restoration Act to challenge Texas’ new abortion ban by establishing an “abortion ritual.” The group claims the same provision which allows Native Americans to use peyote for religious rituals should entitle persons who share the Satanic Temple’s beliefs about abortion to use abortion drugs like Misoprostol.