Biden fares better than Trump over his first 100 days

Reuters | Washington

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

More than half of Americans approve of President Joe Biden after nearly 100 days on the job, according to Reuters/Ipsos polling, a level of support that his Republican predecessor Donald Trump never achieved and one that should help Democrats push for infrastructure spending and other big-ticket items on Biden’s agenda.

The national opinion poll of 4,423 adults from April 12-16 found that 55% approved of Biden’s performance in office, while 40% disapproved and the rest were not sure.

Biden received the highest marks for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, with 65% supporting his response.

In January, 38% approved of Trump’s handling of the health crisis. Ninety per cent of Democrats, 61% of independents and 39% of Republicans said they approved of Biden’s response, the poll showed.

Fifty-two per cent of Americans also said they liked Biden’s handling of the economy and 53% of independents and 39% of Republicans said they approved of Biden’s response, the poll showed.

Fifty-two per cent of Americans also said they liked Biden’s handling of the economy and 53% said the same about his impact on US jobs, which in both cases were a few percentage points higher than Trump’s marks on jobs and the economy during his final month in office.

But Biden received his strongest criticism on immigration, as his administration continues to grapple with a surge of migrants arriving at the US-Mexico border: 42% approved of the president’s border policy, while 49% disapproved.

More than half gave Biden strong marks for bipartisanship, though Democrats were much more likely than others to credit Biden for unifying the deeply divided electorate.

Fifty-six per cent approved of Biden’s efforts, including 88% of Democrats, 23% of Republicans and 48% of independents. Americans were also generally supportive of Biden’s stance on the environment and racial inequality, with 54% and 51% approving of his record so far, respectively.

Biden is benefiting somewhat from circumstances that are beyond his control. He had months to prepare his pandemic response before becoming president, and some coronavirus vaccines were already in use before his January 20 inauguration.

Biden’s economy also has the advantage of being compared against the 2020 pandemic recession, when employers shed millions of jobs as COVID-19 shuttered businesses and schools.

Still, Biden’s approval numbers reflect popular support for his ambitious agenda, including a $1.9 trillion economic stimulus package and should help him pursue other initiatives, said Julian Zelizer, a political historian at Princeton University. Biden is now pushing for a $2 trillion infrastructure plan that many Republicans oppose, and he is expected to propose tax hikes on the wealthy to raise money for childcare and other programs for American workers.

His popularity will help Biden keep his party together, Zelizer said, blunting malcontents on both the progressive and moderate wings of the party, and possibly tempering opposition from some Republicans, especially those in politically competitive states. Lyna Sandau, a 75-year-old Republican from New York City, said she admires how Biden has aggressively supplied the United States with vaccines.

Sandau voted for Trump last year, but if the election were held again, she would probably back Biden. “What can I say, he seems to be trying,” she said