Biden’s approval rating is worse than Trump’s 4 years ago

A Reuters/Ipsos survey released on Tuesday (May 21, 2024) shows that 36% of Americans say they approve of the President of the United States, Joe Biden. The majority of respondents (59%), however, declare their disapproval of the Democrat. This is the worst index recorded by the company since the beginning of Biden’s term in January 2021.

The survey has been carried out monthly by the company since 2012. 1,000 voters are interviewed in all US states. The margin of error is 3 percentage points.

In the same period of government under former President Donald Trump, who will be Biden’s opponent in the November 5 elections, the Republican had 49% approval, according to Gallup.

This level fell with the advancement of the Covid-19 pandemic, but rose again in 2020 and Trump reached that year’s election with 46% approval.

Despite the difference in evaluation between the presidents, Trump does not enjoy widespread favoritism less than 6 months before his rematch against Biden at the polls. This is because, after the election, he became involved in several controversies, damaging his image among the electorate.

Trump left office with a 34% approval rating. In the following months, the Republican continued to deny the result of the vote. He is being investigated for inciting the acts that led to the invasion of the Capitol, on January 6, 2021, which left 6 people dead on the day Joe Biden’s victory was declared and the Democrats returned to the White House.

In addition to this case, Trump is also on trial for fraud for allegedly hiding a payment to porn actress Stormy Daniels during the 2016 campaign, which the Republican won against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The objective would be to buy Daniels’ silence about an extramarital affair between them.

Other cases, which have not yet reached the trial stage, are the attempt to reverse the result of the presidential election in the State of Georgia and the illegal possession of confidential documents at his property in Mar-a-Lago, Florida.

Trump’s judicial record does not favor him, but Biden does not take off. According to a Morning Consult survey carried out in May, the former president has 44% of voting intentions, while his successor has 43%. It’s a technical draw in the margin of error. Since 2023, none of the candidates has gained more than a 4 percentage point lead in the polls.

BIDEN’S MISTAKES

Amid political polarization in the country, the Democrat’s administration faces high disapproval regarding government policies. The migration crisis on the border with Mexico and diplomacy in international crises stand out.

Earlier this year, Biden accused Texas’ Republican governor, Greg Abbott, of obstructing federal agents’ access to border areas in an attempt to regain control. Abbott then called for changing the jurisdiction that gives the White House broad authority over immigration.

In February, he defended a migration package on border security that would allow him to temporarily close the border. The project was rejected in the Senate.

The North American government has also been criticized for hesitations and controversies in dealing with international crises. Biden even confused Ukraine with the Gaza Strip when announcing the sending of humanitarian aid to the Middle East region.

The Democrat’s attitude towards the conflict in the Middle East, especially after the invasion of the Gaza Strip, and the defense of the actions of Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, despite accusations from the ICC (International Criminal Court), negatively affect the image of the current president and his re-election campaign.

TRUMP CONTROVERSY

Former President of the United States Donald, Donald Trump, faces strong rejection not only due to legal obstacles, but also because he is also collecting controversies in his 3rd consecutive presidential campaign.

On Monday (May 20), he released a video that suggested the creation of a “unified Reich” if he were re-elected. The term refers to the German empires, but is commonly associated with Adolf Hitler’s Nazi regime, described as the “3rd Reich”.

The Republican also gave his opinion on the war between Israel and Hamas. He called pro-Palestinian protesters camped out at universities “left-wing extremists”. And he criticized Joe Biden for not taking a stance on protests in institutions.

Regarding immigration policies, which played a central role in the election 4 years ago, the former president did not rule out the possibility of establishing detention camps and promised to deport illegal immigrants “ASAP”.

Additionally, he faces trials for civil fraud, bribery and sexual abuse:

• in 2022, he was charged with civil fraud for allegedly inflating property values ​​to obtain better loans;
• porn actress Stormy Daniels reported a meeting with Trump in 2006, which reportedly resulted in a $130,000 payment to silence the affair during the 2016 presidential campaign;
• Elizabeth Jean Carroll, former columnist for Ellesues him for sexual harassment and defamation, alleging that she was attacked between the end of 1995 and the beginning of 1996. Trump claimed that the journalist had invented the case.

NON-MANDATORY VOTING

In the US, no one is required by law to vote in any local, state or presidential election. According to the Constitution, voting is a right, but it is not a requirement.

ELECTORAL COLLEGE

The President and Vice President of the United States are elected indirectly by the Electoral College. Each State has the same number of delegates as seats in Congress (House of Deputies and Senate). There are 538 delegates.

After you vote for president, your vote is counted at the state level. In 48 states and Washington, D.C. the winner receives all of that state’s electoral votes. Maine and Nebraska assign their electors using a proportional system.

A candidate needs the votes of at least 270 delegates – more than half of the total – to win the presidential election.

Typically, a projected winner is announced on election night in November. However, the official Electoral College vote is held in mid-December when the delegates meet.

The results for this year’s elections will be announced on January 6, 2025. The inauguration will take place on January 20.

This report was produced by journalism intern Ana Sanches Mião under the supervision of assistant editor Ighor Nóbrega.