Majority in Florida disapprove of Biden performance: poll

Florida voters broadly disapprove of President Biden’s handling of the economy and pandemic, a new poll finds, with a majority saying the country is on the wrong track.

Fifty-eight percent of Sunshine State voters in the USA Today-Suffolk University poll released Tuesday said the U.S. is headed in the wrong direction, compared to 28 percent who said it is on the right track.

The poll showed Biden’s overall approval rating stands at 39 percent, with 53 percent disapproving of his job performance heading into this year’s midterm elections.

On the economy, the president’s performance was largely panned, with 57 percent of Florida voters saying they disapproved compared to 36 percent who approved.

Biden drew higher marks on the pandemic response, though he remains underwater on that issue as well. The poll found 48 percent disapprove of his handing of the pandemic, while 45 percent view it favorably.

Biden, who said last month he plans to run for reelection in 2024 if he’s in good health, trails both former President Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) in hypothetical matchups.

The president trails DeSantis by 8 points, 52 to 44 percent, in a hypothetical matchup. In another scenario, Biden trails Trump by 3 points, 47 to 44 percent, according to the poll.

Trump defeated Biden in Florida by just over 3 points in the 2020 election.

The polling comes amid tension between Trump and DeSantis as speculation swirls over whether the Florida Republicans will launch 2024 White House bids. Both are viewed as leading contenders for the GOP nomination, but neither has said yet if he’ll run.

The former president appeared to blast DeSantis last month for refusing to disclose if he has received his COVID-19 booster shot. Trump, during an interview, criticized “gutless” politicians who will not reveal their booster shot status.

The USA Today/Suffolk University poll surveyed 500 likely Florida voters from Jan. 26-29, with a margin of error of 4.4 percentage points.