Biden's approval rating plunges 10 points or more in six key swing states after chaotic Afghanistan withdrawal, poll finds
Americans in six key swing states largely disapprove of President Joe Biden's job in the White House as the US still grapples with the fallout from his chaotic Afghanistan withdrawal, a new poll finds.
Biden's approval numbers in Arizona, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Texas trail his disapproval rating by at least 10 points, according to data from the Civiqs survey taken until Monday.
Each of those states saw a close 2020 presidential race, with four going to Biden.
The gap is largest in Texas, which went to former President Trump by a margin of just over five percent. Texans disapprove of Biden's job performance by 26 points.
By contrast Pennsylvania, which Biden walked away with by less than two points, holds him at 51 percent disapproval to 41 percent approval.
Nationwide President Biden's job approval trails his disapproval by 10 points
Biden's likeability and job approval are both lagging across the United States
That's also Biden's overall job approval across the country, according to the data, and the same approval rating Trump had at this point in his term.
But since the military pulled out of Afghanistan in the last days of August, leaving behind stranded US citizens and Afghans who helped the US government, Biden lost the confidence of Americans living in all but six states.
Only in California, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Vermont is Biden's approval higher than 50 percent.
Biden's approval rating is net positive in just 13 states overall.
A combination of the COVID Delta variant wreaking havoc on US health care and economic systems plus Biden's handling of Afghanistan are likely fueling his growing disapproval among voters.
Hospitals, particularly in states where the population is largely unvaccinated, have been buckling under the pressure of the more infectious COVID strain. The more recent Mu variant is fueling concern as well.
Biden walked away with election victories in four of six key swing states that all now see his job approval tanking
The Delta variant has been blamed for the disappointing August jobs report with 235,000 new jobs added to the economy - 765,000 fewer than the previous month.
Amid the crisis at home the Biden administration has faced bipartisan criticism for strategic and diplomatic decisions made after the Taliban took Afghanistan at lightning speed.
After vowing earlier in August to not leave any Americans behind, Biden withdrew US forces at a time when up to 200 citizens remained in Afghanistan actively trying to flee.
Earlier polls have also placed at least partial blame on Biden for the devastating ISIS-K suicide attack outside of Hamid Karzai International Airport that slaughtered 170 Afghans and 13 US service members in the military's deadliest day in the region since 2011.
Most recently his State Department has faced stunning accusations from federal lawmakers and others that it has actively tried to hamper efforts to rescue Americans after the military withdrew.
A Taliban fighter stands guard in front of the US Embassy on September 8. The embassy's walls have been painted over with the Taliban flag since Biden's chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan
Biden's sinking poll numbers likely coincide with bipartisan criticism over his decisions in Afghanistan that led to more than 100 Americans and numerous Afghan allies being abandoned to Taliban rule
Since the Taliban took over the country, scenes of their rule like this gender-segregated classroom have emerged
Those include a risky operation to evacuate a US family by land and a number of privately chartered flights that spent days waiting for State clearance to leave Afghanistan - reportedly with 142 Americans on board.
But Biden still has the support of his own party, the Civiqs poll finds.
Just six percent of Democrat voters disapprove of his White House tenure compared to 84 percent who approve.
Republicans overwhelmingly disapprove of Biden at 95 percent.
He also fails to impress Independent voters, with 59 percent disapproving compared to just 30 percent the other way.
Most voters also don't have a favorable opinion of Biden in general, in addition to disliking his work in the White House.
Fifty-two percent of US voters said they had an unfavorable opinion of Joe Biden and just 44 percent like him.
The same six swing states his job approval is trailing in also rank his favorability below 50 percent.
That might be bad news for Democrats headed into the 2022 midterm election season. If Congress's balance of power shifts toward Republicans, anything from Biden's progressive agenda to possible Supreme Court nominations threaten to stall indefinitely.
His tanking numbers come as his predecessor ramps up his campaign appearances, with two rallies announced Tuesday night.
In addition to a slew of Republican candidate endorsements, Trump announced he would hold an event in Georgia on September 25 and one in Iowa on October 9.
The latter is further fueling speculation he may mount another White House bid in 2024.
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