Poll: Biden Rises but Can't Get Past Inflation

Democrats might take comfort in a couple of trends as the midterms near
By Bob Cronin,  Newser Staff
Posted May 1, 2022 5:40 PM CDT
Poll: Biden Rises but Can't Get Past Inflation
President Biden speaks Sunday at a memorial service for former Vice President Walter Mondale at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis.   (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Overall, more voters approve of the job President Biden is doing than did two months ago, a new poll has found. But issue by issue, the picture is less bright for the president, the Hill reports. The Washington Post-ABC News poll found that 42% of respondents are happy with Biden's job performance, a jump of 5 percentage points since February, which was his low point. And 52% said they disapprove of Biden's work, a 3-point drop from the last poll. The poll was conducted April 24-28 and reports a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points.

Inflation is where Biden's grade is lowest: 28% of respondents approve of his efforts to counter it. More than 90% of people say they are at least concerned about the rate of inflation, per the Post, including 44% who describe themselves as "upset." Respondents also have more trust in Republicans handling crime and the economy in general. They're more approving of Democrats on immigration, education, and schools. The most encouraging finding for Democrats is a big one: the outlook for the midterm elections.

When voters are asked which party will have their support in the November congressional elections, leaving candidates' names out of it, Democrats and Republicans are running about even. Democrats usually need a lead going into the elections to win control of Congress, but it's trending their way, per the Post; Republicans were up 10 points on that question last fall and 7 points in February. In February, voters ages 18 to 39 were divided down the middle, and Democrats now lead that age group by 12 points—despite the fact that the young respondents disapprove of Biden's performance by at least as much. (More President Biden stories.)

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