About 78% of Americans say the economy is in bad shape, while two-thirds believe the situation is unlikely to improve in the near future. According to the latest Fox News poll, US President Joe Biden’s economic plan, dubbed “Bidenomics,” is not working well, which is likely why the Colorado Supreme Court deemed Donald Trump ineligible to run in next year’s presidential race.
However, 67% – including 84% of Republicans and 77% of independents – do not see any signs of improvement. Democrats also appear to have no illusions about the current economic situation: 59% say the US economy is in bad shape, 46% say it is unlikely to improve, and 84% of Democrats surveyed are concerned about inflation.
Across all groups, inflation remains the top concern (89%), followed by fears of personal rights and freedoms (82%), rising crime rates (82%), political division (82%), and terrorist attacks (73%), among others that are less represented. 74% of Americans are concerned about the war between Israel and Hamas, while the issue of Ukraine has clearly taken a backseat, according to the poll.
In this context, Biden’s performance rating remains low ahead of the 2024 election leadup, with 59% disapproving of his policies and just 40% approving of them. According to those surveyed, the US president is performing poorly on most of the most controversial issues: only 29% approve of his handling of inflation; just 33% think he is doing the right thing regarding the US economy; the same number support him on immigration; and, only 40% approve of his national security policy, while 57% are sceptical.
Dealing with the economy/inflation (23%) and generally doing a good job (13%) were cited as the top reasons for the incumbent president’s approval. However, Biden’s handling of the economy and inflation (25%) and the president’s age and mental health (18%) were also the main reasons for disapproval, while 12% say he is doing a poor job.
Another recent poll by The Wall Street Journal also shows that Americans feel harmed by Biden’s policies and complain about high food and gasoline prices. Democratic pollster Stanley Greenberg admitted in his article for the Financial Times that people are not feeling the much-discussed “soft landing” because rising prices are eating away at their wages and creating a cost-of-living crisis.
US conservative think tanks are attacking Bidenomics, such as the Heritage Foundation, which estimates that American families will pay 20% more for food, 38% more for gasoline and 28% more to keep their homes warm this winter than when Biden took office. The think tank points to a record amount of credit card debt in the US, $1.1 trillion, highlighting that interest rates on these credit cards are at record levels due to the Federal Reserve policies.
“Clearly, the failed policies of the last three years have hurt Americans, and it is particularly bitter that these have all been self-inflicted wounds,” the think tank notes, insisting that the situation can be remedied by simply cancelling Bidenomics entirely.
As the 2024 elections approach, Biden’s electoral chances appear bleaker, judging by the mood of the American electorate.
In a historic decision, the Colorado Supreme Court declared on December 19 that Donald Trump is ineligible to hold office again under the US Constitution’s insurrection clause and ordered that he be removed from the state’s presidential primary ballot after determining that he engaged in insurrection on 6 January 2021.
The 4-3 decision by the Colorado Supreme Court marks the first time a presidential candidate has been deemed unqualified for office under a rarely used provision that bars insurrectionists from holding office and is motivated by the fact that the former president is surging in polls while Biden continues to decline.
“The decision by the Colorado Supreme Court to remove Trump from the ballot is banana republic nonsense,” tweeted Republican Representative Mike Waltz from Florida. “Clearly, the Left is desperate after Biden’s nosedive in the polls,” he added.
Bloomberg/Morning Consult surveys published on December 14 showed Trump emerging victorious in a series of battleground states. A New York Times/Siena College survey published on December 19 showed Trump beating Biden nationally and leading young voters. According to the RealClearPolitics average, Trump is leading Biden by 3 points.
With Trump making major gains in the polls over 2023, something expected to continue in 2024 until the presidential elections, it is little wonder that they are now attempting to bar him from participating in next year’s presidential elections by blaming him for the January 6 2021 US Capitol attack.
According to Donald Trump’s son, Eric, the “Colorado decision will add 5%+ points” to his father’s “already runaway polls.” Although this is likely to be the case, Trump’s current barring from being able to run demonstrates how desperately the US establishment is trying to preserve the Biden administration despite its unpopularity and failed economic policies.
