Biden approval rating slips to 39 percent in new survey

President Biden’s approval rating slipped to 39 percent, according to a new poll, as his party seeks to hold on to power in Congress in Tuesday’s midterm elections.

The Reuters-Ipsos survey released late Monday found that the president’s approval rating dropped 1 point compared to polls conducted in mid-October and last week.

Democrats are seeking to avoid a historical trend that typically sees the president’s party lose seats in Congress during the midterm elections, but Republicans appear poised to retake the majority in the House. The race for control of the Senate is highly competitive, and a handful of races will likely determine which party wins the majority.

Biden has largely avoided campaigning in the more competitive races amid his low approval numbers and has instead kept to more solidly Democratic states like Maryland and New York.

The new Reuters poll found a third of respondents chose the economy as the biggest problem facing the country, more than any other issue. About 1 in 10 selected crime, while about 1 in 15 said national abortion rights.

Democrats have tried to emphasize abortion rights and threats to democracy as key issues for the midterms, but polls consistently showed voters listing the economy as the most important issue as high inflation lingers.

The new poll was conducted over a two-day period among 1,004 adults. The credibility interval was 4 points.

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