Biden approval rating hits 38% amid ongoing economic woes: Poll

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - Fewer than two in five Americans approve of the way President Joe Biden is carrying out his job amid persistent concerns about the state of the US economy, according to a poll released on Monday.

Biden's job approval rating has hit 38%, with 62% disapproving of his performance, according to the CNN survey. Nearly 70% of respondents say Biden has not paid enough attention to the most pressing problems facing the nation while just 30% approve of his handling of the economy, and a mere 25% support his efforts to combat inflation.

According to data released last week, US annual inflation hit 9.1% in June, surpassing expectations. It is now expected that the Federal Reserve will take stronger tightening steps in its July and September meetings, raising interest rates by 100 and 75 basis points, respectively.

Three-quarters of those polled said inflation and the cost of living are the most important issues facing their family. Just 31% think the president has the right priorities, a significant decline from the 53% who said so in April 2021.

The dire figures come as Biden and his fellow Democrats prepare for November's midterm elections, with one-third of the Senate and all seats in the House of Representatives to be contested.

Biden's standing among his own party continues to decline, down 13 points from April alone amid historic inflation figures. Just 73% of Democrats approve of his job performance.

Key Democratic constituencies continue to slip away from the president, with just 45% of people of color supporting Biden's job. That includes a jarring nine-point decline among Latino adults, and a six-point dip with Black Americans.