President Joe Biden’s recent State of the Union speech didn’t boost his standing on crucial issues, as per a fresh ABC News/Ipsos poll released on Sunday. Consequently, his campaign received no momentum as the 2024 presidential election looms.
Regarding key 2024 concerns such as the economy, crime, the conflict involving Hamas, and the Ukraine situation, Biden’s approval ratings “remained static,” the survey revealed:
- Economy: 36 percent approval
- Crime: 35 percent approval
- Hamas: 30 percent approval
- Ukraine: 41 percent approval
Biden’s address, described by many as confrontational, partisan, and forceful, didn’t resonate well with independents. Thirty-six percent of independents felt he performed worse or as expected, while only 25 percent thought he exceeded expectations.
Some political analysts argue that Biden should have aimed his speech at appealing to independents. Instead, it seemed tailored to appease the far left to secure the Democratic nomination. Prior polling indicates the president isn’t highly regarded within his own party.
Former President Donald Trump outperformed Biden on several key issues, according to the poll: “Trump’s approval ratings during his presidency surpass Biden’s on four out of seven issues that both men were rated on: the economy, inflation, immigration and the situation at the U.S.-Mexico border, and crime.”
Trump also garnered higher approval ratings than Biden within their respective parties. The significant distinction between the two lies in how their respective bases evaluate their performance. Trump’s approval ratings among Republicans surpass Biden’s among Democrats on various issues (ranging from the mid-70s to 90% for Trump and from 59% to mid-70s for Biden).
A plurality (36 percent) of Americans express greater trust in Trump over Biden (33 percent) to lead the nation, while 30 percent remain undecided.
The poll surveyed 536 Americans from March 8-9, following the State of the Union address, with a margin of error of 4.5 points.
