President Biden's approval rating has recently recovered from its summer low, with 45% of Americans approving of his job performance in the latest AP-NORC Center for Public Research poll released Thursday.
Why it matters: His new rating, based on a survey of 1,054 people this month, signals momentum for Democrats before the November midterms, though the public's perception of Biden's handling of the economy and inflation still remains low.
By the numbers: The 45% approval rating was a 9-percentage point gain from his lowest rating of 36% in July, primarily driven by renewed support among fellow Democrats.
- Of surveyed Democrats, 78% approved of his performance, followed by 36% of independents and 10% of Republicans.
- A majority of Americans — 55% — approved of his response to the COVID-19 pandemic; 49% supported his performance on climate change; and 40% said they agreed with his work on abortion policy in the face of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade.
Yes, but: 38% said they disapproved of his handling of the economy. That's a 10-percentage point increase from its low in June.
- Overall, 27% said they believe the country is moving in the right direction, a slight improvement.
The big picture: The new poll comes after the passage of the $740 billion Inflation Reduction Act, the unveiling of the Biden administration's student loan forgiveness plan and a major plunge in gasoline prices since June.
- Biden's current approval rating is roughly in line with former President Obama's rating in 2010, though presidents typically see a sharp dip in late fall in midterm election years, Axios' Alexi McCammond reports.
Methodology: This poll interviewed 1,054 U.S. adults between Sept. 9-12 and has a margin of sampling error for all respondents is plus or minus 3.9 percentage points.
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