President Biden’s approval rating as president hit a new low this month, according to a Gallup survey taken just before Biden announced he would withdraw from the 2024 race.
The poll, published Tuesday, found 36 percent of Americans said that they “approve” of Biden's “handling” of his role as president, compared to 58 percent who said they disapprove.
The president's announcement came after Democratic lawmakers in both chambers urged him to exit the race and make room for someone else to challenge former President Trump in November. Those political headwinds came after a poor debate performance by the incumbent raised concerns over his mental acuity and ability to serve another four terms.
“It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President. And while it has been my intention to seek reelection, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term,” Biden wrote in a letter Sunday.
Prior to announcing his departure from the race, the president's job approval rating was at the lowest of his presidency, according to Megan Brenan, a research consultant for Gallup. She added that his decision to step aside could bolster support in the long run.
“History suggests that his withdrawal, stemming from a loss of confidence in his ability to beat Trump in November, may result in an improvement in his approval ratings in future months and, potentially, how his presidency is viewed in the future," Brenan said, per the survey.
His previous approval rating low in Gallup polling had been at 37 percent, which he originally hit in April of 2023.
Among post-World War II presidents, only former President Carter had a worse approval rating at this stage in his term — bringing in only 35.8 percent support. Former President George H. W. Bush, a one-term president like Carter, came close with 39.2 percent, according to the poll.
The Gallup survey was conducted between July 1-21, with a sample of 1,010 people and a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 4 percentage points at the 95 percent confidence level.
