As inflation surges, Bidens approval rating drops to 41% – Reuters/Ipsos poll

div classBodysc17zpet90 cdBBJodivpBy Jan Wolfep

pWASHINGTON Reuters – U.S. President Joe Biden‘s public approval rating fell to 41 this week, a blow to his Democratic Party’s hopes of retaining control of Congress in Novembers elections, according to a ReutersIpsos opinion poll. pdivdivdiv classBodysc17zpet90 cdBBJodiv

pSagging under the weight of higher consumer costs, the 41 approval rating was just above Bidens alltime low of 40 hit in midMarch, one of the lowest levels of support in his presidency. The drop suggests that the small burst of momentum Biden briefly enjoyed last week, when he hit 45, has stalled. p

pInflation, which hit a 40year high on Tuesday, is seen as a major liability for his party as it heads into the elections. Americans are struggling with rising energy and food costs fueled by the war in Ukraine.p

pThe poll found Americans want Biden to prioritize economic issues, with 27 saying the economy is the most important problem facing the United States today. p

pOn Tuesday, Biden unveiled plans to extend availability of higher biofuel blends of gasoline during the summer to curb soaring fuel costs and to cut reliance on foreign energy sources.p

pDemocrats are widely expected to lose control of the House of Representatives and possibly the Senate to Republicans, who would likely block many of Bidens legislative efforts.p

pThe twoday national poll found 53 of Americans disapprove of Bidens job performance. Only onequarter of Americans said they believe the country was headed in the right direction.p

pThe ReutersIpsos poll is conducted online in English throughout the United States. The latest poll gathered responses from a total of 1,005 adults, including 444 Democrats and 369 Republicans. It has a credibility interval – a measure of precision – of 4 percentage points.p

p

pp Reporting by Jan Wolfe Editing by Ross Colvin and David Gregoriop

divdivdiv classBodysc17zpet90 cdBBJodivdivdiv