WASHINGTON: US President Joe Biden’s popularity was near its lowest level of his presidency this month, a sign of the challenges ahead for his re-election bid next year, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll.
The three-day opinion poll, which closed on Sunday, showed 40% of respondents approved of Biden’s performance as president, a marginal increase from 39% in November.The poll had a margin of error of about three percentage points.
Biden is widely expected to face a November 2024 rematch with former President Donald Trump, the frontrunner for the Republican nomination. Other recent polls have pointed to a potentially close race between the two.
The poll showed that Americans see the economy, crime and immigration as the biggest problems facing the country – all issues on which Trump and other Republicans have criticized Biden. Nineteen percent of poll respondents rated the economy as the top issue, while 11% pointed to immigration and 10% signaled out crime.
Biden’s public approval rating has held below 50% since August 2021, and this month’s rating remained close to the lowest levels of his presidency – 36% – seen in mid-2022.