Do you remember the aftermath of the 2022 midterm elections, when political pundits and analysts were raving about Biden’s unexpected success in staving off a red wave, practically given him credit for it, and suggesting this was proof that he had momentum going into the 2024 presidential election season?
Well, so much for that. The latest polling shows that the Joe-mentum we were told was happening has been canceled.
“As he begins his campaign for reelection, President Biden faces substantial and multiple challenges, according to a Washington Post-ABC News survey. His overall approval ratings have slipped to a new low, more Americans than not doubt his mental acuity, and his support against leading Republican challengers is far shakier than at this point four years ago,” reports the Washington Post. “Biden’s overall job approval rating stands at 36 percent, down from 42 percent in February and about the same as the previous low of 37 percent in a Post-ABC poll conducted in early 2022. His disapproval stands at 56 percent, including 47 percent who disapprove ‘strongly.'”
This comes on the heels of the latest Gallup survey, which found that only 37% of Americans approve of Joe Biden’s performance, which is the lowest approval rating of his presidency.
It gets even worse for Biden, according to the poll. “When asked who they would support in 2024, 44 percent of voting-age adults say they would “definitely” or ‘probably’ vote for Trump while 38 percent would definitely or probably vote for Biden,” while 18 percent were still undecided—which is hard to believe—or gave a different answer.
Biden also is in a weak position in a hypothetical matchup with Ron DeSantis. “If DeSantis were the Republican nominee, 42 percent today say they would definitely or probably vote for the Florida governor, as 37 percent would back Biden and 21 percent are undecided or chose another option.”
To say these numbers for Biden are bad is an understatement. The survey found that a majority of Democrat-leaning voters (58%) indicated a preference for someone other than Biden for the party’s nomination, and a solid majority, 63%, say he’s not mentally sharp enough to be president—which is up 20 points from 2020. It’s worth noting that even among those who question Biden’s mental sharpness and his ability to serve, 12% would still “definitely or probably” vote for him over Trump. While it’s concerning that so many would vote for a vegetable rather than Trump, it also shows that Biden’s cognitive health hurts his chances in 2024.
Despite all of Biden’s efforts to make himself sound like a economic hero, 54% of Americans believe that Trump did a better job handling the economy during his presidency, compared to just 36% who believe than Biden has done a better job.
Make no mistake about it, there’s a reason why Democrat insiders and even the mainstream media were trying to nudge Biden away from running again. His presidency has been a disaster, and there really aren’t many strong indicators for his chances in 2024. Donald Trump may come with a lot of baggage, but Americans recognize that the economy was stronger under Trump. Based on recent polling, he is more likely to get another chance in the White House than Joe Biden.
