President Biden’s Approval Ratings Rise Past Donald Trump

FILE PHOTO: REUTERS/Brian Snyder/File Photo - RC29SJ905H8N

More than half of Americans approve of President Joe Biden after nearly 100 days on the job, according to Reuters/Ipsos polling, a level of support that his Republican predecessor Donald Trump never achieved.

Biden received the highest marks for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, with 65% supporting his response.

Ninety-percent of Democrats, 61% of independents and 39% of Republicans said they approved of Biden’s response, the poll showed. https://tmsnrt.rs/3xpA1qK

Fifty-two percent of Americans also said they liked Biden’s handling of the economy and 53% said the same about his impact on U.S. jobs, which in both cases were a few percentage points higher than Trump’s marks.

But Biden received his strongest criticism on immigration, as his administration continues to grapple with a surge of migrants arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border: 42% approved of the president’s border policy, while 49% disapproved.

More than half gave Biden strong marks for bipartisanship, though Democrats were much more likely than others to credit Biden for unifying the deeply divided electorate.

Fifty-six percent approved of Biden’s efforts, including 88% of Democrats, 23% of Republicans and 48% of independents.

Biden is now pushing for a $2 trillion infrastructure plan that many Republicans oppose, and he is expected to propose tax hikes on the wealthy to raise money for childcare and other programs for American workers.

His popularity will help Biden keep his party together, Zelizer said, blunting malcontents on both the progressive and moderate wings of the party, and possibly tempering opposition from some Republicans, especially those in politically competitive states. Sandau voted for Trump last year, but if the election were held again, she would probably back Biden.

Republicans largely oppose Biden, with only about 20% supporting the president, but those numbers have not changed much over the past year. Biden so far has been able to counter that with near-unanimous approval among Democrats and strong support among independents.

About 90% of Democrats approve of Biden, while 8% disapprove.

Biden’s popularity, meanwhile, has grown over the past year among a broad cross-section of the American population, not only among the white college graduates who helped put him in the White House, but also among the traditionally conservative non-college whites who still dominate the electorate in many places.

Biden also has become more popular over the past year among racial minorities, with 68% of Hispanics expressing a favorable view of Biden, up 12 points from last April.

Republicans will likely continue to oppose Biden en masse, Shrum said. But Democrats could counter by pushing for policy initiatives that are popular among conservatives too, such as rebuilding roads and expanding internet access.