If there’s one thing Americans can usually agree on, politically, it’s that we’re divided. Radically divided. So divided, in fact, that every Thanksgiving there are countless articles giving us advice about how not to hit your hidebound, conservative uncle or purple-haired, they/them-pronouns-in-profile nephew over the head with an overcooked turkey leg.
Well, rejoice, denizens of the United States. As we approach the holiday season, a new ABC/Ipsos poll finds that Americans are reaching concord on another major political matter: Joe Biden stinks at this whole president thing.
In a survey conducted Friday and Saturday among 518 adults, Biden plumbed new lows in approval in every category the organization polls on and didn’t fare so well, either, on two new and rather pressing categories included in this survey: the war between Israel and Hamas, and foreign policy toward Iran.
“About two in five approve of President Biden’s handling of the war between Israel and Hamas, matching his approval rating on the situation with Russia and Ukraine,” Ipsos said in a news release on Sunday.
“Although a majority disapprove of Biden’s handling of each conflict, his approval rating in these areas is higher than his handling of crime, inflation, immigration, and other key issues in the United States.”
You can say that again. And again. And again.
For instance, let’s start with the economy. In this survey, 36 percent approved and 61 percent disapproved of how Biden is handling things. Compare this with 38 percent who approved in a January survey, or a high of 60 percent who approved in a March 2021 edition of the poll.
On crime: Thirty-three percent approved of how Biden is handling it and 64 percent disapproved, compared with 40 percent approval and 58 percent disapproval in January. It’s worth noting that Biden’s numbers were never particularly high in this category, hitting a high of 46 percent approval in August 2021.
On climate change: Thirty-nine percent approval versus 57 percent disapproval in this poll, 48 percent approval and 50 percent disapproval in January.
Do you think Biden has done a good job as president?
Yes: 0% (0 Votes)
No: 0% (0 Votes)
On inflation, which we’re constantly told is getting better: Twenty-nine percent approval versus 69 percent disapproval. That was at 31 percent approval and 67 percent disapproval in January. However, to be absolutely fair to the president, this is the only category in which Biden didn’t hit or match an all-time low in the ABC/Ipsos poll. (In December 2021, he only had 28 percent approval versus 69 percent disapproval on the matter.)
Immigration and border security: Twenty-six percent approval versus 70 percent disapproval; that’s a 5 percentage-point movement downward in approval since January. He lopped another 5 percentage points off the approval of his handling of the Ukraine-Russia war, with 41 percent approval now compared with 46 percent approval in January.
And then there was the war between Israel and Hamas, which was roughly a week old when this survey was taken. Those polled already had seen enough that only 41 percent approved of Biden’s handling of the situation versus 54 percent disapproval.
In terms of foreign policy toward Iran — a nation strongly suspected of helping plan and green-light Hamas’ attacks against Israel — only 33 percent approved compared with 62 percent who disapproved.
Americans do not give Biden high marks on anything, according to a new ABC News/Ipsos poll:
📉 26% approval on immigration/border security (net -44)
📉 29% approval on inflation (-40)
📉 32% approval on gun violence (-33)
📉 33% approval on crime (-31)
📉 33% approval on Iran…— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) October 17, 2023
The margin of sampling error for the survey was plus or minus 4.5 percentage points at the 95 percent confidence level.
The poll more or less tracks with Biden’s trends in the RealClearPolitics polling aggregate, which had him at a 40.5 overall approval rating and a 54.8 disapproval rating as of Tuesday morning — a negative 14.3 percentage-point spread.
Yes, former President Donald Trump — the leading GOP contender in the 2024 presidential race — remains contentious, and a rematch between the two men would be a close call. That said, America has more or less spoken on Biden, “Bidenomics” and virtually everything else he’s “accomplished” in a little under three years. Conclusion? It stinks.
Yet, this is the alternate reality the Biden White House still inhabits:
Spending on manufacturing construction in America hit an all-time high last month.
That’s Bidenomics.
— President Biden (@POTUS) October 6, 2023
Folks, the emissions reductions from our Hydrogen Hubs – sites that are generating, storing, and transporting clean hydrogen – will be the equivalent of taking 5.5 million gasoline cars off the road.
That’s no joke. pic.twitter.com/eT5IyNHK2S
— President Biden (@POTUS) October 13, 2023
Tonight, America says clearly to the Israeli people, to the world, and to terrorists everywhere that we stand with Israel.
That will never change. pic.twitter.com/uFhvmXf7bO
— President Biden (@POTUS) October 10, 2023
In 2020, voters judged Joe Biden on his words. In 2024, they’ll judge him on his actions.
All you need to do is look at the numbers to see America doesn’t believe those words on social media translate to action in the real world.
The United States may be a profoundly divided country, but it’s not a stupid one.
