President Joe Biden’s disapproval rating in December skyrocketed to 56% — the highest of his presidency, a new CNBC/Change Research poll found.
Biden’s disapproval rating, which had been 54% in early September and 49% in April, indicated voters are unhappy with the administration’s work regrading the economy and the COVID-19 pandemic, the CNBC/Change Research poll results showed.
As his disapproval rating rises, Biden’s approval rating continues to fall. The survey showed it’s at 44%, down from 46% in September and 51% in April.
The economy and rising inflation appear to be the primary reason voters are unhappy with Biden.
CNBC reported that the economy was the top priority for men and women, every age group, Latino and white voters, and those with and without college educations.
Black respondents named racism their chief priority, with the economy second.
Among the survey’s 1,895 respondents, 60% said they disapproved of Biden’s overall handling of the economy — a 6-point decline in approval from September.
A breakdown of the economy makes things worse for Biden, who has a 72% disapproval for his handling of the price of everyday goods, and 66% disapproval for his efforts to help voters’ wallets, CNBC said.
A total of 84% of respondents said the prices they see for everyday goods are higher than they were a year ago, while just 19% reported earning more income over the same period, CNBC said. Only 23% said they believed inflation has started to drop or will begin to decline soon.
The CNBC/Change Research survey found that 55% of respondents said they disapproved of the president’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
Even when voters were asked about areas they believe are going well, Biden scored poorly.
Most people who said the U.S. stock market is doing “excellent” or “good” while just 46% say it’s doing “not so good” or “poor.” Also, a greater percentage of respondents said believed the U.S. stock market was doing worse than the year-earlier period.
When asked whether they approved or disapproved of Biden’s handling of the stock market, 44% said they strongly or somewhat approve compared to 56% who somewhat or strongly disapprove, CNBC said.
Biden received poor grades despite all three major U.S. equity indexes posting double-digit gains in 2021 compared to their historical annual average around 7% or 8%.
The president’s poor survey numbers are a major concern for Democrats heading into November’s midterm elections. Republicans are favored to win control of the House, with the GOP regaining a majority in the Senate also a possibility.
The survey of likely 2022 voters was conducted Dec. 17-20.