When it comes to the polls, there aren't many silver linings for Joe Biden right now. Voters think he's too old and not mentally well enough to be president. They don't like the economy he takes credit for and brands with his name. They also disapprove of his handling of the border. These issues alone will make it nearly impossible to sway voter sentiment over the next nine months, but he has another problem: the Israel-Hamas war.
Polls have shown for some time now that his public support of Israel over Hamas has impacted his standing among anti-Semitic Democratic voters. Following the Hamas attack, Gallup reported a double-digit decline in support from his base, sending his approval ratings to new lows. And they haven't improved since. Meanwhile, some administration officials have resigned, some employees were planning a walkout last month, and campaign staffers were blackmailing him to get him to back a full ceasefire.
Recommended: Joe Biden Is No Friend to Israel
The NBC News poll that was released over the weekend not only showed Trump up five points nationally in a general election matchup, but it also showed that Biden is struggling with his handling of the Israel-Hamas War. Less than a third of voters approve of his handling of the war, and his numbers are even worse with young voters.
"Additionally, 36% of voters in the poll approve of Biden’s handling of the economy (down 2 points from November), 34% approve of his handling of foreign policy (down 1 point) and 29% approve of his handling of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza (down 5 points)," NBC News reports. "Among voters under 35 years old, only 15% approve of Biden’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war, while a whopping 70% disapprove."
This is not a simple partisan issue. He's getting raked over the coals from both sides as he tries desperately to appease the majority while not offending the antisemitic wing of the Democratic Party.
An AP-NORC poll from late January also shows how this is a problematic issue for him when it comes to his own party. "Fracture lines are growing in his Democratic base, with some key Democratic blocs that Biden will likely need if he’s going to win a second term unhappy with his handling of the conflict," the Associated Press wrote of the poll. "About 6 in 10 non-white Democrats disapprove of how Biden is approaching the conflict, while about half of white Democrats approve. Notably, about 7 in 10 Democrats under 45 disapprove. That’s the opposite of the attitude of older Democrats, among whom nearly 6 in 10 approve."
The AP-NORC poll found only 31% of respondents approve of Biden's handling of the war—essentially mirroring the results of the NBC News poll.
I've been saying for months now that Biden is not a friend of Israel, but the antisemitic wing of his party isn't convinced. They advocate for a ceasefire because it aligns with Hamas' agenda. They push for increased aid to Gaza, knowing it will ultimately benefit Hamas They want a reduction of aid to Israel because, well... they hate Israel. It will be impossible for Biden to please everyone in this conflict, but I suspect he's going to try because he desperately wants to save his campaign.
