Biden approval at 55 percent, sees decline among Democrats: poll

President Biden has maintained a relatively high overall approval rating of 55 percent, though his support among fellow Democrats has seen a decline in the past couple of months, according to a new Reuters-Ipsos poll released Wednesday. 

The poll, which was conducted June 11-17, found that Biden’s overall approval rating is higher than former President Trump’s 36 percent measured at the same point of his term in office. 

Additionally, roughly 65 percent of respondents approved of Biden’s overall response to the coronavirus pandemic. 

Despite this, the biggest decline in support for Biden this month occurred among members of his own party, particularly among those under the age of 40, nonwhite Democrats and those without a college degree, according to the poll. 

Biden has also attracted growing disapproval in terms of his handling of the economy, gun violence and taxation. 

According to the Reuters-Ipsos poll, 48 percent of respondents said they supported how Biden has handled the economy, down from 52 percent in April, while the percentage who disapproved of his economic policy performance ticked up 4 percentage points to 43 percent. 

Meanwhile, while Biden has promised to fulfill his commitment to combating the “epidemic” of gun violence across the country, approval of his job performance on the issue experienced a drop of 8 percentage points overall from April to June amid a series of high-profile shootings across the country, with a decline of 11 points among Democrats. 

The overall 55 percent approval rating for Biden is similar to the 56 percent recorded in a Fox News poll released last week, with most also identifying the pandemic as Biden’s best performing issue. 

A Monmouth University poll published earlier this month showed a dip in Biden’s overall approval rating from 54 percent in April to 48 percent. 

The Monmouth survey also recorded a decrease in support among Democrats from 95 percent in April to 86 percent this month. 

Biden’s drop in marks on the economy comes as Americans have not been evenly impacted by the reopening of businesses and efforts to fuel a post-pandemic jobs recovery. 

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that, in May, unemployment among Black Americans was 9.1 percent, compared to 5.1 percent for white populations. 

Additionally, Americans with only a high school diploma had a 6.8 percent unemployment rate last month, more than double the 3.2 percent among Americans with college degrees.