New polling indicates that President Joe Biden’s reelection bid announcement two weeks ago is getting a thumbs-down from voters —including Democrats.
A Washington Post-ABC News poll released Sunday put the president’s approval rating at 36%. That’s a drop of 6 percentage points since February.
In addition, if the 2024 election were held today, Biden would lose to either of the top Republican contenders, former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Among poll respondents, 44% said they would definitely or probably back Trump over Biden, who had 38% support. Santis has yet to officially enter the race. Still, he polled higher than Biden, 42% to 37%.
Though it’s been widely reported that this is the lowest approval rating of Biden’s presidency, he has polled lower in the past. For example, the Quinnipiac University poll last July found him with a 31% approval rating.
Biden’s highest approval rating came in May 2021 when he reached 63% in The Associated Press/NORC Center poll.
You can see the high and low approval ratings for U.S. presidents as far back as Franklin D. Roosevelt at this link.
Voters Concerned About Biden’s Age and Acuity
Asked if the 80-year-old Biden “has the mental sharpness it takes to serve effectively as president,” 63% answered that he didn’t. Of those who said no, 94% were Republicans, 69% were independents, and 21% were Democrats.
In another sign that the Biden campaign faces an uphill battle, 58% of Democrats said they wish their party would select someone else as the nominee.
Trump’s Legal Challenges
While the poll revealed significant concerns about Trump’s age (76) as well, voters also appear to be following his legal challenges closely.
Fifty-six percent said Trump should face criminal charges stemming from his alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 election results.
In addition, 54% said he should be charged for his role in the Jan. 6 insurrection, and 54% said he should be indicted for his handling of classified documents.
The poll surveyed 1,006 adults across the country, including 900 registered voters. Among the registered voters, 396 said they leaned Democratic; 438 said they leaned Republican. The poll’s margin of error is plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.
