Biden sees dip in support amid new COVID cases

WASHINGTON >> President Joe Biden is facing a summer slump, with Americans taking a notably less positive view of his handling of the coronavirus pandemic and his job approval rating ticking down.

A new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds that 54% of Americans approve of Biden’s job performance, down slightly from 59% last month.

Though that’s still a relatively solid rating for a president during his first year in office, particularly given the nation’s deep political polarization, it’s a worrying sign for Biden as he faces the greatest domestic and foreign policy challenges of his presidency so far.

The biggest warning sign for the president in the survey centers on his handling of the pandemic. Last month, 66% of Americans approved of his stewardship of the public health crisis; now that number has fallen to 54%, driven by a drop in support from Republicans and independents.

That decline in support coincides with other storm clouds gathering over Biden’s presidency, most notably the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan as U.S. troops withdraw and the Taliban cement their control of the country.

The poll, conducted Aug. 12-16 as news of the Taliban’s movement into Kabul was widely reported in the United States, shows Americans about evenly divided over Biden’s handling of foreign policy (47% approve, 51% disapprove) and national security (52% approve, 46% disapprove). Biden’s domestic policy agenda also faces an uncertain future on Capitol Hill, with Democratic leaders trying to mend party divisions over a pair of infrastructure bills and few signs of progress on voting rights or police overhaul legislation.

Still, Biden’s advisers believe his presidency is likely to rise or fall on his handling of the pandemic. As recently as early summer, the White House was all but declaring victory over the virus, backing the lifting of public health restrictions and encouraging vaccinated Americans to enjoy a return to normalcy this summer. Polling showed Biden winning plaudits for his approach to the pandemic not only from nearly all Democrats but also a healthy share of Republicans.

Some of that support has eroded as a dangerous new strain of COVID-19 takes hold, worries about the virus grow and vaccination rates in the U.S. stall.

The August AP-NORC poll shows just 21% of Republicans approve of Biden on COVID-19, down from 32% last month and 43% in June. Among independents, 44% now support his handling of the pandemic, down from 72% last month.

Those shifts bring Biden’s approval rating on the pandemic more in line with the public’s views of his handling of other major issues, which largely split along partisan lines.

For example, the poll shows 49% approve of Biden’s handling of the

economy and 49% disapprove. That’s down from

57% approval in April.