Majority of Americans think Biden is incompetent

Pres. Joe Biden is still in the first year of his presidency, but the latest approval ratings from Quinnipiac University signal a bleak outlook for he and his administration.

According to the poll, conducted at the beginning of this month and released on Oct. 6, only 38 percent of Americans approve of the Biden Administration’s performance to this point. The numbers come after a series of unpopular decisions and policies from the administration, which include vaccine mandates, intrusion into personal bank accounts from the IRS and Biden’s withdrawal from Afghanistan last month. In the same poll, 53 percent of Americans disapprove of the administration’s performance.

“Battered on trust, doubted on leadership and challenged on overall competency, Pres. Biden is being hammered on all sides as his approval rating continues its downward slide to a number not seen since the tough scrutiny of the Trump Administration,” Quinnipiac University polling analyst Tim Malloy said in a press release.

The newest approval rating is Biden’s lowest since taking office in January. In addition to his low overall approval rating, Biden and his administration received several low marks from Americans. According to the poll, 39 percent approve of his handling of the economy, compared to 55 percent who disapprove.

The economy is not the only area where Americans are losing confidence in the Biden Administration. A majority of Americans disapprove of his handling of taxes (54 percent); foreign policy (58 percent); immigration (67 percent); and the situation at the US southern border (67 percent), a situation that has worsened since January.

According to news reports, Biden has a lower approval rating at this point in his presidency than several recent presidents. These include Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton. Donald Trump, by comparison, had a negative approval rating at this point in his presidency.

Biden had a stronger approval rating in one area – the pandemic. An even 50 percent disapprove of the way his administration has handled the pandemic, compared to 48 percent of Americans who approve. Perhaps the most damning part of this new poll – 55 percent of Americans say that the Biden Administration is not competent enough to run the federal government.

Vaccine mandates

The Biden Administration has met much resistance from Americans over vaccine mandates it has proposed for both the federal government and the private sector. Earlier this year, Biden signed an executive order mandating that all federal employees receive the COVID-19 vaccine by Nov. 22, or face potential penalties. The Biden Administration issued guidance for how federal agencies should implement the mandate, which can include termination.

As for the private sector, Biden introduced a sweeping vaccine mandate last month which, once enacted, would require private companies with at least 100 employees to mandate vaccines. Biden spoke before the nation last month, telling Americans that he “has been patient” regarding people refusing the vaccine, adding that his patience “is wearing thin.”

Many state governors responded to the mandate by saying they would fight the mandate. Other governors and business leaders praised the mandate. Many news reports have brought attention to New York’s healthcare industry, where healthcare workers are losing their jobs (while the pandemic is still ongoing) over their refusal to take the vaccine. New York introduced a vaccine mandate for healthcare workers last month.

US southern border

The situation at the US souther border has gotten progressively worse since Biden took office in January. News reports have detailed inhumane conditions that include overcrowded holding cells. These news reports were seen before Biden was elected, and fixing the issue at the border was one of his campaign promises. The situation is being called a humanitarian crisis.

The Biden Administration has, instead, resorted to the same deterrence policies used by previous administrations. But the way these policies are implemented does not resemble those of previous administrations. Last month, news reports showed as many as 14,000 migrants camped under neath a bridge in Del Rio, Texas, waiting to be processed by US Customs and Border Patrol. These migrants, which include families, women and children, are sleeping in tents or in the dirt, according to those reports.

Taxes

Taxes continue to be a volatile issue in the US.

Biden has introduced new tax proposals, but those policies have failed to make it out of Congress. Biden has proposed increasing the highest tax rate from 37 percent to 39.6 percent, as the 37 percent rate is set to expire in 2025.

In addition, Biden has proposed increasing the capital gains tax rate for the nation’s highest earners to 39.6 percent. The current federal capital gains tax rate is 20 percent. If his capital gains tax is passed, nearly a quarter of US states would see their respective capital gains rates rise to above 50 percent.

Calling it the Build Back Better agenda, Biden has also proposed increasing taxes on corporate revenue, which accounts for six percent of total federal tax revenue, as well as raising taxes on foreign income. Biden and his administration have presented bewildering messaging regarding his agenda, telling Americans that his $3.5 trillion infrastructure plan would cost “zero dollars,” while saying that only households who earn $400,000 or more would see a tax increase.