A recent poll from ABC News/Washington Post taken the week of February 20-24, in the midst of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, shows President Biden’s approval rating sliding to 37 percent.
The number marks a new low in that poll. The data shows a partisan divide, but the ever-important Independent voter strongly disapproves of Biden’s performance (61 percent).
The same survey shows Republicans with a double-digit lead on a generic ballot for Congress over their Democrat counterparts.
Biden down to 37% approval in new ABC News/Washington Post poll: https://t.co/qr9fNv4BNn pic.twitter.com/v1IIkrhFBx
— Byron York (@ByronYork) February 27, 2022
While Biden struggles, former President Donald Trump is riding high with a Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) straw poll giving him a commanding lead (59%) over his next likely rival, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (28%).
The party’s base clearly favors him as the 2024 GOP nominee. Can the same be said for Biden and the Democrat Party?
Trump hinted during his speech that he’d be running again for the White House in 2024.
“We did it twice, and we’ll do it again,” he said. “We’re going to be doing it again a third time.”
Trump won in 2016 but lost to Biden in 2020.
Trump teases a possible future ticket with his name on it: “Who knows? I may even to decide to beat them for a third time.” https://t.co/VlT7z8drtO pic.twitter.com/NQrFxojQ0q
— Newsmax (@newsmax) February 28, 2021
RELATED: Trump Responds To Putin’s Attack On Ukraine: This Never Would Have Happened if I Were President
Biden’s Approval Slips Again After Russian Invasion
In another recent survey hinting Biden’s numbers may have dropped even further due to the current skirmish, a strong majority of voters believe Russian President Vladimir Putin would never have invaded Ukraine if Donald Trump was still in the White House.
A Harvard Center for American Political Studies-Harris Poll released late last week shows that nearly two-thirds of Americans (62%) think Putin would have remained in check under a Trump administration.
Broken down by party affiliation, 85 percent of Republicans believe the Ukraine invasion would not have taken place under President Trump while 38 percent of Democrats expressed the same sentiment.
Furthermore, the poll indicates a significant number of voters – 59 percent – believe Putin moved on Ukraine because he saw weakness in President Biden.
NEW POLL: 62 percent of voters say Putin wouldn’t have invaded Ukraine if Trump were president https://t.co/zYTYajT9gz pic.twitter.com/YiSq9J2FmV
— The Hill (@thehill) February 25, 2022
The polling seems to indicate Americans believe former President Trump when he himself has insisted that the current war operation being conducted in Ukraine would not have happened on his watch.
Trump echoed those sentiments in an interview last week with Fox News’ Laura Ingraham.
“This should have never happened. This would not have happened during my administration,” he said. “In fact, some people are saying why didn’t this take place over the last four years?”
“It’s a sad thing for the world and the country and a lot of people that will be needlessly killed.”
WATCH: President Trump calls into Fox News as Putin announces “special military operation” in Ukraine.
“This would not have happened during my administration…it didn’t for a very good reason and I’ll explain that to you some day.” pic.twitter.com/V6LLgK4ih5
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) February 24, 2022
RELATED: Never Trumpers Cheney, Kinzinger Respond To Russia Crisis By Criticizing GOP And Trump
Russia Did Not Invade Ukraine Under Trump
In his CPAC speech, the former President continued to insist that Russia would not have invaded Ukraine if he were in office.
“Under Bush, Russia invaded Georgia. Under Obama, Russia took Crimea. Under Biden, Russia invaded Ukraine,” he told the audience. “I stand as the only president of the 21st century on whose watch Russia did not invade another country.”
He added that “the Russian attack on Ukraine is appalling.”
In addition to these polls, another covered by The Political Insider last week shows Americans have lost confidence in the President’s ability to handle foreign affairs.
A Gallup poll shows just 40% support Biden’s handling of foreign affairs. That number represents a 16-point drop from a year ago, pre-Afghanistan and pre-Ukraine.
Delving deeper into those numbers, just 36% of Americans approve of how Biden has handled Russian President Vladimir Putin’s Ukraine standoff.
If you thought Biden’s polling was bad before: 55% of Americans disapprove of Biden’s handling of Ukraine. Just 36% approve. https://t.co/j5ls8sFH58
— Scott Whitlock (@ScottJW) February 23, 2022
