Welp, Joe Biden has finally done it. After months of sliding in the polls thanks to a horrific withdrawal from Afghanistan, lingering COVID-19 restrictions, and record inflation, Joe Biden has tied Donald Trump’s lowest approval rating. A new Selzer & Company poll taken between March 15 and 20 shows that only 34% of U.S. adults approve of Biden’s job performance as president. Trump’s Real Clear Politics (RCP) average went up over his four years in office.
Biden’s approval went negative during the Afghanistan withdrawal. Then, a series of self-inflicted policy blunders, foreign and domestic, compounded the problem for the administration. The president’s approval rating has not recovered. As of today, Trump’s favorability according to RCP is nearly two points higher than Biden’s and more than seven points higher than that of Vice President Kamala Harris. Apparently, some Americans are rethinking the relative importance of mean tweets compared to low gas prices and global security.
When Selzer asked about the economy, only 31% said they approve of Biden’s handling, and 58% expect it to worsen over the next 12 months. That is a 31-point increase in pessimism about the economy when compared with voter sentiment before the 2020 election. Biden is also -11 on his handling of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Over 70% of Americans support providing Ukraine with weapons and allowing refugees to settle in the United States. Less than one-quarter support sending our soldiers to fight in Ukraine, and only 40% support enforcing a no-fly zone. Almost 80% see Russian President Vladimir Putin as an enemy of the United States.
A different poll released Thursday from Trafalgar and the Convention of States Action shows that 56.1% of Americans believe Biden has a conflict of interest in the region because of his family’s business interests in Ukraine. That includes 63.4% of independent voters. “The majority of Americans see the obvious; the Biden family has a conflict of interest in regard to Ukraine. This was known before the election, and it’s true today. This is not a partisan issue. It’s a simple fact based on Hunter Biden’s seemingly corrupt dealings in Ukraine,” said Mark Meckler, President of Convention of States Action.
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The administration is also helping to create a new coalition of voters called parents. The Selzer poll shows 64% of respondents feel what public schools teach children is on the wrong track. An overwhelming 81% of those polled see reading, math, and writing as the most important subjects, with approximately two-thirds saying history, home economics, and valuable job skills rated as essential.
When asked what values schools should teach, independent thinking and respect for people of different races tied at 69%. More than two-thirds balked at race-based admissions to college, and less than half trust schools to teach about racism. Perhaps this is because of videos like this one from Accuracy in Media. Teaching critical race theory, also known as CRT, is banned in Idaho. Here is Cindy Dion, a District Instructional Support Specialist in Nampa, Idaho explaining how educators get around the ban:
BREAKING: Idaho banned critical race theory, but schools are teaching it anyway.
"Changed the label, same stuff."
"Social-emotional learning, We can't say that here anymore. It's mental health."
Take Action: https://t.co/us3ceVKA1R pic.twitter.com/6gC4RZIFmC
— Accuracy In Media (@AccuracyInMedia) March 23, 2022
Only 8% said schools should not teach patriotism. Despite feeling schools have gotten off on the wrong track, more than two-thirds of respondents say they trust educators in public schools to ensure books in school libraries are appropriate. Unlike other polls where most Americans support education dollars following the child, the Selzer poll showed minority support when pollsters asked if taxpayer dollars should be used at religious schools. Nearly one-third strongly objected when the pollster framed the question that way.
As of March 24, the RCP Average approval of President Biden stands at 41.3%, only 1.3% higher than the average for Trump’s first year in office. The Selzer poll respondents voted for Biden at +3 and reported identifying as Republican in the current environment at +1. According to Ballotpedia, NPR called Selzer & Company’s founder, J. Ann Selzer, “the most respected pollster in Iowa.” FiveThirtyEight described her as “the best pollster in politics” and gives the firm an A+ rating. These are hardly right-leaning endorsements.
At just over one year in with soaring gas prices, looming questions about food and pharmaceutical security, and a world where America’s enemies are emboldened, the only question is how low Biden’s approval will go. Imagine spending your life on a political career with the singular goal of occupying the White House, only to out-Carter Jimmy once you get there. It appears that could be Joe Biden’s lasting legacy.
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