Biden hammered on all sides as ratings plunge to new low

MORE Americans now disapprove of Joe Biden than approve of him, with the latest polling showing the Democratic leader’s approval rating at the lowest point of his presidency.

Mr Biden’s national approval rating plummeted to a new low of 38 per cent in the latest Quinnipiac poll, one of the country’s most respected surveys.

It comes as the US president faces a mounting domestic crises with a stalled US Covid-19 vaccination rate and Democrats in Congress at loggerheads over Mr Biden’s big spending plans.

“Battered on trust, doubted on leadership, and challenged on overall competency, President Biden is being hammered on all sides as his approval rating continues its [slide] to a number not seen since the tough scrutiny of the Trump administration,” said Tim Malloy, Quinnipiac University polling analyst.

The figures confirm a trend of falling popularity for Mr Biden. A Washington Post analysis found yesterday that since the start of September, more Americans disapproved of Mr Biden’s handling of the job on average than approved, with 44 per cent of Americans saying they approved while 49 percent said they disapproved.

The net disapproval means Mr Biden is now what is known as “underwater” in US politics.

Asked about the “terrible” polling figures, Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, admitted the administration was facing a difficult period.

“This is a really tough time in our country,” she said, blaming the rise of the Delta variant of Covid-19 and the “20 per cent of the country who’ve decided not to get vaccinated”.

In further troubling news for the Democrats, Mr Biden’s support appears to have slumped among the Democrats’ key constituencies of young people, women and ethnic minorities.

A Pew Research Center survey found Mr Biden’s approval rating among African Americans fell from 85 per cent in July to 67 per cent in September, while also falling 16 points among Hispanics and 14 points among Asian Americans.