President Joe Biden has the lowest approval rating of his presidency and would lose in a head-to-head rematch against former President Donald Trump, according to an NBC poll released Sunday.
Biden has a 40% approval rating and a 57% disapproval rating — a 1% change from NBC’s September poll that set a new low. Trump leads Biden in a hypothetical rematch at 46% to 44% — a change from the previous poll, which had the two presidential contenders in a tie.
The president’s approval rating on foreign policy took a hit since the escalation of the war between Israel and Hamas in October. His disapproval rating on foreign policy jumped from 53% in September to 62% in the new poll. His approach to the Israel and Hamas war has an approval rating of 34% and a disapproval rating of 56%. Meanwhile, his disapproval rating on the economy stayed at 59%.
A large majority (70%) of voters between the ages of 18 and 34, a typical Democratic Party stronghold, disapprove of Biden’s approach to the conflict in Gaza.
Biden has faced mounting pressure from some Democrats to advocate for a cease-fire in Gaza. This extended to members of his own administration, as more than 500 federal officials signed a letter to the president pleading with him to bend on the issue.
The Biden administration has emphasized that a cease-fire would give Hamas, a terrorist organization, time to reorganize future attacks. Instead, the president has called for brief “pauses” in military action to provide time for humanitarian relief.
The new NBC poll found that 47% of respondents said Israel’s military actions have been justified, while 30% said they have gone too far. A majority supported both military aid to Israel (55%) and a boost in humanitarian aid to Gaza (58%).
The poll of registered voters has a margin of error of 3%.
Additionally, survey respondents favored Republican control of Congress in 2024 at 47%, with 45% favoring Democrats.
Trump led in the Republican primary poll at 58%. The former president was trailed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis at 18% and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley at 13%.
