Biden’s approval rating in the poll is 38%, with 62% disapproving. His approval ratings for dealing with the economy (30%) and inflation (25%) are significantly lower. Rising costs are a primary economic pressure for most Americans: 75% cite inflation and the cost of living as the most important economic issue facing their family. Last summer, that figure was 43%.
With midterm elections approaching, the poll finds no indication that Biden’s public standing is improving — and it’s deteriorating in some critical constituencies. Among Democrats, for example, Biden’s approval rating is down 13 points since the spring (from 86% in a late April-early May poll to 73% now), while his numbers among independents and Republicans have remained about the same. Biden’s approval rating among Democrats for handling the economy is also down (62% approval versus 71% this spring). And as for inflation, it’s just afloat (51% of Democrats agree, 47% disagree).
Among blacks, 45% now agree with Biden’s overall performance, up from 54% in spring. This decrease includes a 6-point decrease in Black adults and a 9-point decrease in Hispanic adults. Biden’s approval ratings for dealing with the economy and inflation are now turning negative among black adults, who have been among the President’s strongest supporters (47% agree and 52% disagree with the economy, while 34% support inflation and 65% disapprove). ).
Few Americans who endorse Biden’s overall performance say they do so so strongly. Overall, just 12% strongly agree with the way Biden is handling the presidency, compared to 43% who say they strongly dislike his work. Only 28% of Democrats strongly agree, while 84% of Republicans strongly disagree.
The public’s perception of the economy and of how things are going in the country as a whole is deeply negative and deteriorating. Since the spring, the stock, which says the country is doing badly, is up 11 points to 79%, its highest since February 2009, and down just four points from its all-time low hit in November 2008 . This shift is occurring primarily among Democrats. Just 38% of Democrats now say things are going well in the country, up from 61% this spring. Likewise, the number of people of color has fallen sharply, from 41% who said things were going well in the spring to 27% now.
Only 18% of Americans describe the country’s economy as in good shape, while 82% say economic conditions are poor. About 4 in 10 (41%) describe the economy as ‘very bad’, up 11 points since spring and almost doubling since December. While some economists are warning of a looming recession, most Americans believe the country is already there. The poll found that 64% of Americans feel the economy is currently in a recession, more than stocks did just before the Great Recession (46% in October 2007) and a recession that began in 2001 (44% reported). the country was already in recession in February ’01). Majorities from all parties say the country is already in recession, including 56% Democrats, 63% Independents and 76% Republicans.
When asked about the biggest economic issue their family is facing today, 75% mentioned an issue related to the cost of living or inflation, including 38% mentioning inflation and rising costs in general, 29% mentioning gas prices mentioned, and 18% who mentioned the cost of food. All of these numbers have risen sharply since last summer. One survey respondent said: “The prices of everything are getting higher and higher. Will this stop?” Another said, “I work 40+ hour hours and can barely afford to survive. With gas and food prices so high, I don’t see how anyone can have extra money to do anything other than work.” And a third participant said, “Inflation causes so much pain in everything we buy and do. ”
While public attention has sharply shifted to inflation, few believe the President’s focus has followed. In the poll, 68% say Biden hasn’t paid enough attention to the country’s top issues, up from 58% who said so last November. That tops the previous peak in CNN polls that said a president’s attention was misplaced (59% said Donald Trump failed to pay attention to top issues in late summer 2017).
On this issue, too, Biden is losing ground among his key support groups. Among Democrats, 57% say he has the right priorities, down nearly 20 points from 75% last fall. Among people of color, just 35% say he has the right priorities, and among those under 35, just 23% say the president has the right focus.
The poll shows that Biden’s approval ratings for handling immigration (39%) and the situation in Ukraine (46%) exceed those for economic issues, but the majority disapprove of both issues.
The poll also suggests that both the president’s and the vice president’s personal favor have taken a hit. A year and a half ago, just before she took office, 59% favored Biden and 51% favored Kamala Harris. Now those numbers are 36% and 32%, respectively. Meanwhile, the public’s image of First Lady Jill Biden is mixed: 34% have a positive opinion, 29% have a negative opinion, and 37% are unsure how they feel about her.
The new CNN poll was conducted by SSRS from June 13 to July 13 among a random national sample of 1,459 adults originally reached by mail and is the third poll CNN has conducted using this method. The surveys were conducted either online or over the phone with a live interviewer. The results for the full sample have a sampling error of plus or minus 3.3 percentage points.
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