President Joe Biden’s approval rating reached its highest point in two months, with 40% of Americans saying they approve of the president’s performance, according to a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll.
It’s a slight increase from his all-time low in May (36%), but the growth may indicate some of Biden’s recent wins have helped his image.
What Americans think: Biden’s approval numbers remain historically low overall, with 55% of respondents disapproving of his job handling. Here’s how Biden’s numbers break down by political affiliation:
- 78% of Democrats say they approve of the president. That’s up from 72% the week prior, which likely accounts for his overall increase.
- 12% of Republicans approve of the job Biden is doing, up from 10% a week ago.
- 28% of independents gave Biden a thumbs-up, compared to 31% last week.
What’s changed? Biden’s approval bump comes after a series of Democratic wins, including the passage of two major bills in Congress and the takedown of one of the plotters of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
- Democrats finally saw movement with their Inflation Reduction Act, which includes a number of key priorities like tax credits to reduce fossil fuels and will allow Medicare to negotiate for lower prescription drug prices.
- This week, Biden signed the bipartisan CHIPS (Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors) and Science Act, which will invest $280 billion to bolster the U.S. microchip industry and compete with China’s growing dominance of the market. He also signed the PACT Act, which secures health care benefits for veterans exposed to toxic burn pits.
- Last week, Biden confirmed that a U.S. airstrike had killed Ayman al-Zawahiri, the leader of the al-Qaida terrorist group and one of the masterminds behind 9/11.
Key quote: Biden seemed unbothered earlier this week when asked about his sagging poll numbers.
“The fact is that we’ve been divided for so long, and it’s only recently that we have any kind of a movement,” he said. “And I think you’re going to see a lot change.”