President Joe Biden, challenged by a growing “uncommitted” liberal voting block and struggling to have any impact on the nation’s border crisis, has hit another low point in his general election polling as we close out the weekly White House Report Card.
In a story that likely hit with a thud on the doorstep of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. today, the New York Times revealed that its latest poll showed the president losing in a general election matchup with former President Donald Trump, 48%-43%.
The report on the New York Times/Siena College poll quoted Democratic voters prepared to abandon the president. One independent voter even said that if Trump’s elected, the economy should get better.
Two elements of the poll stood out. The Times said that 47% “strongly disapprove” of Biden. That is “higher than in Times/Siena polls at any point in his presidency,” said the report.
And the other standout, already buzzing around Washington in emails early Saturday, was this paragraph: “The poll offers an array of warning signs for the president about weaknesses within the Democratic coalition, including among women, black and Latino voters. So far, it is Mr. Trump who has better unified his party, even amid an ongoing primary contest.”
John Zogby, the Democratic pollster and our co-grader, noted that Trump also isn’t winning great grades, though much better than Biden. “Two candidates in deep trouble,” he said.
The survey ended a week where Biden scored a big win in the Michigan primary but was bruised by the “uncommitted vote.” Organizers hoped for 10,000 votes and won over 100,000 in the effort to express displeasure with the president’s Middle East policies which this weekend failed to provide the ceasefire Biden promised was coming.
Biden also failed to change the nation’s view of his border bumbling during a trip to Texas on the same day Trump spoke on the border and was embraced by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and the border patrol union.
Our conservative Weekly Report Card co-grader, Jed Babbin, noted Biden’s border crisis in his grade of D-minus. “Americans are angry about the open border. Biden could secure it quickly and easily if he chose. But he chooses instead to reverse Trump’s policies and open the gate wide to all who want to come in whether economic immigrants, terrorists or criminals,” he said.
John Zogby
Grade: C
President Joe Biden won over 80% of the vote in the Michigan Democratic primary this week yet was gobsmacked by the results.
While 20,000 or so voters in Michigan usually vote “uncommitted” in a Democratic primary, on Tuesday, 103,000 voted that way. And there was a clear message of protest against Biden for strongly supporting Israel in its horrific campaign in Gaza.
This message came from progressives, young voters, non-whites, suburbanites, and Arab Americans, all essential pieces of Democratic victory coalitions since 2008.
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The president emerged with a serious dilemma because these groups will not be persuaded by symbolic gestures or other issues. Biden, already in the hot seat over his age, 81, cannot afford to lose any Democratic voters.
Jed Babbin
Grade: D-
So we’re back to the Big Lie this week with President Joe Biden’s border visit coinciding with a bloody crime wave involving illegal immigrants allegedly murdering and raping women and assaulting cops.
The week ended with Biden and former President Donald Trump making dueling visits to the Texas-Mexico border on Thursday. Before Biden arrived, the National Border Patrol Council told him to not mention them in his speech. They’re more than angry with Biden for opening the border.
While there, Biden scorned Trump for not helping pass his “bipartisan” border bill. That’s nonsense. Biden’s “bipartisan” bill would keep the border open and institutionalize a flow of illegals across the border at no less than 5,000 per day.
Americans are angry about the open border. Biden could secure it quickly and easily if he chose, but he chooses instead to reverse Trump’s policies and open the gate wide to all who want to come in, whether economic immigrants, terrorists, or criminals.
Claiming the border is secure and blaming Trump for his crisis was just the latest Big Lie pushed by Biden last month. He also finally visited East Palestine, Ohio, late last week to say he had been on their year-old train disaster cleanup from “day one.”
Maybe he meant Palestine, where he’s still pressuring the Israelis to declare a cease-fire in Gaza. They’re ignoring him, as they should, and keeping their campaign against the Hamas terrorists going.
Then there’s the regulation that Biden’s bureaucrats are pushing to reduce by almost 100% the amount of “PFAS” — plastic that doesn’t degrade — in potable water. That reg will increase the cost of water for the average American household by up to $10,000 a year. Even the Defense Department is against the new rule.
You just can’t make this stuff up, folks. This is a parody of what government should be, and it ain’t funny.
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John Zogby is the founder of the Zogby Survey and senior partner at John Zogby Strategies. His podcast with son and managing partner and pollster Jeremy Zogby can be heard here. Their firm polls for independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Follow him on X @ZogbyStrategies.
Jed Babbin is a Washington Examiner contributor and former deputy undersecretary of defense in the administration of former President George H.W. Bush. Follow him on X @jedbabbin.
