Biden’s approval rating just hit its lowest mark on record

On Monday, Biden notched the unpleasant distinction of recording his lowest-ever mark in FiveThirtyEight’s weighted tracker of his approval rating with a 37.4% approval.

His latest mark comes as polling shows worrying signs of his support among nonwhite voters. Some progressives have also hammered the White House over its response to Israel’s handling of the war in Gaza in the aftermath of Hamas’ October 7 attack.

Biden’s approval cratered after the US’s chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan and has never recovered. His previous low came in July 2022, around the time gas hit over $5 a gallon.

In comparison, former President Donald Trump’s approval rating has increased slightly since he left office in the wake of the Capitol riot. According to FiveThirtyEight’s weighted average, Trump has a 41.6% approval rating. Trump is facing a potentially perilous time in the wake of becoming the first-ever former president to be convicted of a felony.

Neither man is widely popular, a fact that could signify the hyperpartisan era. In 2016, Gallup found that Trump and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton were the least popular presidential candidates dating back to when they began measuring such popularity in 1956.

Biden’s popularity puts him at significant risk of losing in November. According to Gallup, his most recent quarter in office (which ended on April 18) left Biden with the lowest approval rating in that span in decades.

Four other modern presidents had an average sub-50% approval rating at this same point in time. Only one, President Barack Obama, won reelection in November. Trump, whose Gallup average was 46.8% at this time in 2020 (higher than Biden’s 38.7%) lost to Biden that November.

The president is hoping that this month can change the narrative. Biden is expected to increase his campaigning. He also pushed for a June debate, the earliest faceoff of two major presidential candidates. The pair will debate on June 27.