Biden plagued by negative approval ratings ahead of second State of the Union speech

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58% of Democrats do not want Biden to run in 2024: Poll

Bill McGurn on the 2024 presidential election outlook ahead of the State of the Union.

President Biden continues to be plagued by negative approval ratings on the day of his second State of the Union address despite Democrats' hopes of rebounding following a better-than-expected midterm election performance and an improving inflation rate.

According to the Real Clear Politics polling average, Biden's approval rating sits underwater with just 44% of Americans giving him the thumbs up and 52% disapproving of his job performance.

The most recent polling average from FiveThirtyEight tells a similar story. Just 43% approve of the job Biden is doing as president while 52% disapprove.

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U.S. President Joe Biden speaks during a rally hosted by the Democratic National Committee (DNC) at Richard Montgomery High School on August 25, 2022 in Rockville, Maryland. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

According to both of these averages, Biden hasn't had a positive approval rating since August 2021. His numbers hit the lowest point of his presidency in July 2022 amid record high gas prices and inflation when approximately 57% disapproved of his job performance and just 37% approved.

Gas prices have since come down from the over $5 national average, averaging around $3.44 in January, while the inflation rate steadily declined from 9.1% in June to 6.5% in December. It did, however, spike to 7.5% in January.

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Despite Americans' then-overall negative view towards Biden, Democrats performed better in the 2022 midterm elections than expected, limiting Republicans to just a five-seat majority in the House of Representatives and winning a number of key Senate races to reach a clear majority in the upper-chamber.

Although those wins for Democrats didn't translate to a big enough rebound for Biden in the eyes of most Americans, he is expected to announce that he'll be seeking a second term in the White House.

Former US President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign event at the South Carolina State House in Columbia, South Carolina, US, on Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023. (Sam Wolfe/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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Biden's predecessor, former President Donald Trump, also struggled with an underwater approval rating, faring worse than Biden at the same point in his presidency. On the day of his second State of the Union Address, 55% disapproved of his job performance as president while just 41% approved.

The State of the Union will be streamed live on Fox News Digital at 9 p.m. ET. Fox News Channel and FOX Network will provide special coverage of the address.