President Biden’s overall job-approval ratings crept upwards in a new poll, but most respondents said he’s bungling the economy.
The Nov 16-18 survey from Hill-HarrisX found Biden’s numbers edged from 42% to 44%, with 11% of respondents expressing no opinion.
The outlook was darker on issues facing the country, with large numbers of voters remaining deeply pessimistic going into the holiday season.
A full 45% of voters said they strongly disapproved of how the president was handling the economy. The findings come amid the highest inflation experienced in the United States in 30 years. Just 39% of respondents approved of Biden’s performance on economic issues.
The poll also found that voters remained sour on Biden on immigration issues as well, with just 34% saying they approved of his performance. Throughout Biden’s first year in office, his administration has grappled with how to stem the flow of illegal migrants into the US from Central and South America.
Biden scored highest — but still underwater — with voters on the issue of coronavirus, where 47% of those polled approved of his job on containing the pandemic. The poll was conducted before the emergence of the new Omicron variant in South Africa. Preventing the bug from entering the US remains a critical new test for his administration.
On Friday Biden announced he would restrict travel South Africa and seven other affected nations beginning Monday.