Biden's approval rating hits new low in latest Gallup poll

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden's job approval rating has hit a new low eight months into his term, according to a report released Wednesday by analytics firm Gallup.

The president's approval rating fell six percentage points from August to 43% — the lowest of his presidency, as tallied by Gallup — amid the withdrawal of the U.S. military and the evacuation of over 122,000 people from Afghanistan. Thirteen servicemembers died in a suicide bombing at the airport in Kabul, marking the last casualties of a 20-year conflict.

A majority, 53%, disapprove of Biden's performance for the first time, according to the report.

Opinions of his performance declined the most among Independents within the past three months. Among this group, 37% approve of how Biden is managing the country, down from 55% in June.

His approval rating among Democrats is highest at 90% — an eight percentage point decrease from late-January to early-February. The numbers fell 6 percentage points among Republicans, from 12% in February to 6% this month.

The findings are from a Sept. 1-17 Gallup poll. During the polling period, Biden announced new strategies to combat rising COVID-19 cases, including a vaccination mandate for business with 100 or more employees. Daily infections earlier this month were up 316% compared to Labor Day 2020.

Lower approval numbers could affect enthusiasm for Democratic candidates in other races, such as the upcoming Virginia gubernatorial election on Nov. 2.

Poll findings could also make passing Biden's $3.5 trillion budget and $1.2 trillion infrastructure plan that much harder. While the infrastructure bill is popular, its outcome is tied to the budget plan, which has dissenters among Democrats and Republicans.

Reach out to Chelsey Cox on Twitter at @therealco.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Biden approval rating lowest in eight months in Gallup poll