President Biden ends his first year in the White House with a clear majority of Americans for the first time disapproving of his handling of the presidency in the face of an unrelenting pandemic and roaring inflation, according to a new poll from the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. More Americans disapprove than approve of how Biden is handling his job as president, 56% to 43%. As of now, just 28% of Americans say they want Biden to run for reelection in 2024, including only 48% of Democrats, the AP reports. Asked on Wednesday at his news conference about his flagging popularity, Biden responded, "I don't believe the polls."
It's a stark reversal from early in Biden's presidency. In July, 59% of Americans said they approved of his job performance in an AP-NORC poll. His approval rating dipped to 50% by late September in the aftermath of the US military withdrawal from Afghanistan and during surging coronavirus infections. The latest poll shows that confidence in Biden's handling of the pandemic has eroded as the omicron variant surges. Just 45% say they approve of Biden's handling of COVID-19, down from 57% in December and from 66% in July 2021. Overall, the poll shows Biden in a better position than former President Donald Trump was at a similar point in his presidency; in February 2018, just 35% of Americans said they approved of Trump.
Americans are even more downbeat about Biden's handling of the economy, with just 37% approving, often citing inflation. Gary Cameron, 66, of Midwest City, Oklahoma, said the president's verbal gaffes and age—79—don't give him confidence that Biden has the skill or energy to pull the country out of its malaise. Other respondents said Biden’s age and life experience have been an asset. Nicole Jensen-Oost, 79, of Plano, Texas, said Biden has demonstrated leadership and empathy through the pandemic. "This man has heart," she said. "He's compassionate, and the country needs that right now." The poll was taken this week and reports a margin of error for all respondents of plus or minus 3.8 percentage points.
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