Most voters think the economy is in bad shape, a record number feel it’s getting worse for their family, and not many think the White House is helping, according to a new Fox News survey.
Economic views are negative by more than three-to-one: 21% say it is in excellent/good shape, while 78% rate it as only fair/poor. That’s worse than the 33-66% rating at the end of Trump’s term (Dec. 2020), and it’s much worse when compared to pre-pandemic views. At that time, 55% rated the economy positively, with a record 20% calling conditions "excellent" (Jan. 2020).
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Sentiment is similar on the personal level, with 70% feeling the economy is getting worse for their family. That’s a high in Fox News polling going back 20 years, and three times the number who feel it’s getting better (23%). The previous "getting worse" record was 56% in 2006.
Women under age 45 (77%), those with annual income below $50,000 (73%), and voters under age 35 (73%) are some of the most likely to feel things are getting worse.
In addition, voters are more likely to think the Biden administration’s actions on inflation are hurting (40%) or not making a difference (36%) rather than helping (24%).
Republicans (65%) say the administration’s actions on inflation are hurting, independents say they aren’t making a difference (47%), and views among Democrats split between helping and not making a difference (44% and 39% respectively). Partisans share the view, although at differing levels, that the economy is getting worse for their family, as majorities of Democrats (54%), independents (73%), and Republicans (84%) feel that way.
"The sizable majority of voters saying the economy is getting worse for them puts a fine point on the damage inflation has inflicted," says Democratic pollster Chris Anderson, who conducts the Fox News poll with Republican counterpart Daron Shaw. "And the potential damage higher prices could inflict on President Biden's political prospects."
That backdrop makes clear why 4 in 10 say the economy (24%) or inflation specifically (16%) are the most important issues facing the country. That’s more than cite guns (12%), political divisions (7%), political leadership/corruption (6%), and national security and immigration/border security (5% each).
Big picture, only 30% are happy with how things are going in the country. That’s down from 45% at Biden’s 100-day mark in April 2021. Some 70% are dissatisfied, including a slim 51% majority of Democrats. Voter dissatisfaction went as high as 75% under Biden in August 2022.
"Historically, the number one factor affecting an incumbent president’s re-election prospects is the economy," says Shaw. "There’s a lot of time, but right now Biden’s more Carter than Reagan."
The president’s job approval remains below 50% on every issue surveyed. Voters give him his lowest marks on the economy (35% approve - 63% disapprove). More also disapprove than approve of Biden’s handling of guns (35-62), China (35-61), immigration (36-61), national security (45-52), and Russia/Ukraine (43-53).
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On immigration, 60% think the administration is not tough enough in its treatment of illegal immigration to the U.S. That’s up from 55% who felt that way in November 2021.
On Ukraine, Biden’s best issue, 58% favor the U.S. continuing to provide weapons to help fight Russia. That’s down from 64% in January, with more of the decline coming from Republicans (-10 points) than Democrats (-6 points).
Forty-four percent of voters approve of Biden’s overall performance, while 55% disapprove. That’s about where his ratings have been for the last year, with approval hitting a low of 40% in July 2022.
Negative job ratings would be a trouble sign for any president. But as Biden launches his re-election campaign, it’s noteworthy his approval sits at a low point among women (42%) and, more importantly, among Democratic women (74%) -- and near lows among Gen Xers (39%), Hispanics (45%), Black voters (66%), and Democrats (79%). His approval among independents stands at 37%, which isn’t great, but is well above his low of 26% last summer.
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Biden has held fewer news conferences than his two predecessors. Nearly 20 fewer than former President Trump and 30 fewer than former President Obama. Voters think he should be available, with three-quarters saying it’s important for Biden to hold regular press conferences. More Democrats (87%) feel that way than Republicans (68%) or independents (67%).
Pollpourri
Forty-three percent of voters approve of the job Kamala Harris is doing as vice president, while 54% disapprove. That’s an improvement since January when it was 39-57%. Her ratings are on par with her boss’s, and much more positive than the marks voters give lawmakers. Only 29% approve of Congress, while 66% disapprove, including majorities of all partisan stripes.
Ten years ago, the last time Fox asked the question, voters were against raising the nation’s debt limit by 21 points (58-37% in October 2013). Today, they oppose it by a smaller 6-point margin (50-44%). Two-thirds of Democrats (66%) would raise the limit, while majorities of Republicans (68%) and independents (54%) wouldn’t.
Some 80% think the leak of highly classified U.S. military documents by an Air National Guardsman was very or somewhat damaging to national security, with large numbers of Democrats (85%), independents (80%), and Republicans (75%) feeling that way.
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Conducted April 21-24, 2023, under the joint direction of Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R), this Fox News Poll includes interviews with 1,004 registered voters nationwide who were randomly selected from a voter file and spoke with live interviewers on both landlines and cellphones. The total sample has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus three percentage points.
Fox News’ Victoria Balara contributed to this report.
