Days after President Joe Biden announced his reelection campaign, a new poll shows his job approval rating is at its lowest level yet.
The latest Gallup poll, published Thursday, found Biden has a 37 percent approval rating, 1 point lower than his previous record low of 38 percent last July. The poll was conducted through the month of April and ended on Tuesday, when Biden announced his bid for reelection in a video. Former president Donald Trump was at just above 40 percent approval at the same point in his term.
The low favorability levels are a source of stress in the West Wing. Aides worried about Vice President Kamala Harris’s similarly low ratings are reportedly brainstorming ways to boost her image ahead of the 2024 election. Tuesday's video announcement featured several shots of the vice president, and the administration is scheduling events where she can discuss popular issues such as infrastructure.
Biden’s plummeting favorability comes as members of his party question his stamina for a second term.
The Washington Post in recent weeks interviewed Democratic voters about their thoughts on a second Biden term. They said the president's frequent verbal slip-ups and physical stumbles have given them pause about whether he should run.
Biden faces the lowest support from within his own party for a second term among modern presidents. Just 38 percent of Democrats said the party should nominate Biden for reelection, compared with 57 percent who want to find another plausible candidate, according to an average of polls conducted throughout his first term published by the Post on Monday. Former president Donald Trump had 70 percent of his party’s support for a reelection bid.