New York Times poll finds Biden approval rating is record-low 33%

The New York Times found that President Joe Biden’s approval rating has fallen to a record low of 33% as Democrats’ worries about the midterm elections begin to drift toward panic.

The poll, conducted by the New York Times and Sienna College, found that “voters nationwide have soured on his leadership, giving him a meager 33 percent job-approval rating.”

The poor numbers are making Democrats anxious heading into the 2022 midterms, which historically results in seats lost for the party in the White House.

Republican disapproval was “predictably overwhelming” but “more than two-thirds” of independents now disapprove of Biden’s job performance,  the New York Times reported.  The president's approval rating was 70% among Democrats.

It also reported that 64% of Democratic voters do not want him to run for re-election in 2024, which includes 94% of those under age 30.

The top three reasons cited by those wanting a different candidate for the next presidential election were Biden’s age (33%), job performance (32%), or just a preference for someone new (12%).

The Harvard CAPS-Harris poll for June had similar findings, with 71% of voters surveyed agreeing that “Biden should not run for a second term.”

Economic issues topped the list of the most important problems facing the country. The poll found jobs and the economy were the top issue for 20% of voters each, followed by inflation and the cost of living at 15% each.

Democratic voters told the New York Times that their disposable income has been eaten up by inflation.

“We used to spend $200 a week just going out to have fun, or going and buying extra groceries if we needed it, and now we can’t even do that,” said Kelly King, a former factory worker in Greensburg, Ind.

She is a Democrat but feels like Biden should be doing more to help.

“He hasn’t done what I think he’s capable of doing as president to help the American people,” said King. “As a Democrat, I figured he would really be on our side and put us back on the right track. And I just feel like he’s not.”

She now hopes Republicans will retake Congress to “course-correct.”

The New York Times found “one glimmer of good news” for Biden: he still comes out ahead in a hypothetical matchup against former President Donald Trump, 44% to 41%.