(Molly Bruns, Headline USA) A former Clinton-era strategist told Fox News that he had expected President Joe Biden’s approval rating to drop after the announcement that the cognitively-challenged octogenarian was seeking another term.
Stagwell Group President and Managing Partner Mark Penn made an appearance on America’s Newsroom, where he shared projections of Biden’s approval rating sinking to 36%.
According to Breitbart, other polls from the Washington Post and ABC News were more optimistic, with an approval of 42%.
“Well, when he drops here from 42 to 36 in approval in this poll, that’s all Democrats who are jumping ship and saying, ‘I don’t approve of the presidency he’s doing,’” Penn explained. “And I think we’ve seen for a long time – look the Harris polling showed the same thing for a long time – people question his fitness for continued office, most Democrats didn’t want him to run. But this poll has to send shockwaves; he just announced for the presidency. You’re supposed to go up when you announce, not down.”
When the host asked what could have caused the six-point drop, Penn pointed to the canned campaign announcement.
“I think that the announcement. I think that the fact that he said he’s running for president, when less than 40% of Democrats really support his reelection,” Penn explained. “Remember, they rushed out this announcement. It was supposed to be in July. That would have given everyone an opportunity to see how he’s doing and not freeze the field. Instead, he froze the field in the Democratic Party, everybody’s got to support him now, and with numbers like this, they’re looking at a potential Titanic.”
Biden’s ratings are lower than any other president at this point in his first term in the last 80 years.
The poll also found that 63% of Americans believe Biden is in a state of mental decline; 62% of Americans do not think he is physically healthy enough to handle the job.
Another recent poll showed former president and current 2024 presidential candidate Donald Trump, along with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, pulling ahead of Biden in the polls.
ABC/WP POLL: 2024 Presidential Election Poll (𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬)
(R) Trump — 49% (+7)
(D) Biden — 42%(R) DeSantis — 48% (+7)
(D) Biden — 41%ABC/WP (A) | n=1,006 | 04/28-05/03https://t.co/i6dvXx5TS6 pic.twitter.com/GydRVs0KVw
— InteractivePolls (@IAPolls2022) May 7, 2023