The midterm elections are typically seen as a referendum on a sitting president. Republicans have banked on Biden’s once-dismal approval rating—largely driven by economic woes such as high gas prices—to ride a “red wave” into congressional control. However, the president’s approval rating has now ticked up.
A YouGov poll released this week found that 45 percent of U.S. adults approved of Biden’s presidency, while 46 percent said they disapproved. While he still has a 1-point deficit, YouGov has not found him with a higher approval rating since August 2021.
Notably, his approval rating among independents has risen to 40 percent. His approval among independents bottomed out on June 25, when only 22 percent of the key group approved of his performance in office.
The increase was also driven by a rise in voters who approve of how Biden is handling the economy. Voters have been plagued by a myriad of economic challenges in recent months including high inflation, gas prices and concerns that the economy could enter a recession.
Republicans have sought to tie economic woes to Biden’s economic policies, including COVID-19 relief spending that they say drove up inflation. The economy remains in a precarious condition, however fewer Americans are blaming the president for the economic crisis, the poll found.
Forty-seven percent of respondents disapproved of Biden’s handling of the economy, while 43 percent approved, the poll found. The 4-point deficit is the smallest since September. The poll surveyed 1,500 U.S. adults from October 8 to 11 and carried a margin of error of about plus or minus 3 percentage points.
Other polls have also found Biden’s popularity rise in recent weeks.
Biden Approval Boost Comes Month Before Midterms
With less than a month until the midterm elections, any boost in Biden’s approval rating could help Democrats, as Republican efforts to tie Democrats in battleground races to Biden’s unpopularity appeared to pay off during the summer.
Candice Nelson, a professor of government at American University, told Newsweek on Saturday that the increases in Biden’s approval remain small, but could help Democrats in key Senate races.
“A lot is being made of changes, but they’re very small,” she said. “They go up 1 percent, 2 percent. Statistically, within the margin of error. It’s better to be going up than down, but the difference between 46 percent and 45 percent—there really isn’t a difference.”
She added that Biden’s approval rating has increased largely due to Democrats “coming home” in the wake of his legislative victories, such as the Inflation Reduction Act. The new law saw new spending on climate change policies, a key priority for many Democrats, while offsetting new spending by a 15 percent minimum corporate tax and allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices.
Still, Nelson said she does not expect changes in Biden’s popularity to change either party’s messaging.
“I think both parties have their messages baked in at this point. I don’t think at this point it’s going to change Republican strategies,” she said.
Newsweek reached out to the White House for comment.
