Biden’s Approval Rating Drops Back Below 40% in What Reuters Calls a ‘Poor Sign’ for Democrats in November

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President Joe Biden’s approval rating has dipped back to below 40% in the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll, and the wire service is calling it a “poor sign” for Democrats hoping to hold onto Congress.

Biden surged in the poll a week ago after a string of legislative victories and amid the furor surrounding former President Donald Trump’s alleged mishandling of highly classified documents.

Reuters noted:

The two-day national poll found that 38% of Americans approve of Biden’s job performance.

While Biden’s approval rating hit 41% last week, it has been mostly below 40% since mid-June despite a string of Democratic legislative victories that Biden’s allies hope will help them defend their narrow congressional majorities in November.

Jason Lange, reporting for Reuters, called the latest poll a “poor sign for [the] Democratic Party’s hopes in the Nov. 8 midterm elections.”

Lange added:

Biden’s overall approval rating has been below 50% for over a year as Americans have grappled with high rates of inflation and an economy scarred by the COVID-19 health crisis. Biden’s lowest ratings of 36% – in four weekly polls in May, June and July – rivaled the lows of his predecessor, Donald Trump, whose popularity bottomed out at 33% in December 2017.

Most election forecasters have predicted Republicans will take a majority in the House in November.

The Senate is a different story, as GOP candidates in Arizona, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Georgia have struggled to connect with voters.

With two months until Election Day, Mehmet Oz in Pennsylvania could see a surge in the polls as his opponent, Lt. Gov. John Fetterman (D-PA) recovers from a stroke. Pennsylvanians must decide if Fetterman’s health is an issue, and Oz’s campaign has made it one.

Likewise, Herschel Walker took a slim lead over Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA), according to a poll released Tuesday.

Reuters/Ipsos poll surveyed 1,005 Americans, including 449 Democrats and 357 Republicans.

The poll reported a margin of error of, or a “credibility interval,” of four points.