President Biden’s approval rating as president hit a new low this month, according to a Gallup poll conducted shortly before Biden announced he would withdraw from the 2024 race.
The poll, published Tuesdayfound that 36 percent of Americans said they “approve” of Biden’s “handling” of his role as president, compared to 58 percent who said they disapprove.
The president’s announcement came after Democratic lawmakers in both chambers urged him to drop out of the race and make room for someone else to challenge former President Trump in November. These political headwinds arose after a poor debate performance by the incumbent raised concerns about his mental acuity and ability to serve four more terms.
“It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your president. And while it was my intention to seek re-election, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to resign and focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term,” Biden wrote in a letter on Sunday.
Before announcing his departure from the race, the president’s job approval rating was at the lowest of his presidency, according to Megan Brenan, a Gallup polling consultant. She added that his decision to step aside could bolster support in the long term.
“History suggests that his withdrawal, stemming from a loss of confidence in his ability to defeat Trump in November, could result in an improvement in his approval ratings in the coming months and, potentially, in how his presidency will be viewed in the future. ,” Brenan said. , according to the survey.
His previous low approval rating in Gallup polls was 37 percent, which he originally achieved in April 2023.
Among post-World War II presidents, only former President Carter had a worse approval rating at this stage of his term – receiving just 35.8 percent support. Former President George HW Bush, a one-term president like Carter, came close with 39.2 percent, according to the poll.
The Gallup poll was conducted between July 1 and 21, with a sample of 1,010 people and a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 4 percentage points at the 95 percent confidence level.
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