Biden and Harris both have negative approval ratings amid Omicron Covid surge, poll shows

Chief Justice John Roberts has the highest approval rating of federal leaders while Senate Minority Leader McConnell has the lowest

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President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris both have significantly high disapproval ratings, according to a new survey by Gallup that show Americans’ thoughts on federal leaders.

The new poll conducted phone interviews with 811 adults in the United States with a margin of sampling error of 4 points and was was conducted between 1 December and 16 December.

A slim majority of voters disapprove of Mr Biden’s performance as president, with 51 per cent disapproving and 43 per cent approving of his job as president. In the beginning of his presidency, 57 per cent approved of the job he did as president and 37 per cent disapproved. But the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban – which led to the deaths of 13 US servicemembers – as well as a poor economy and an uptick in Omicron coronavirus cases have all caused his approval ratings to tumble.

Meanwhile, 54 per cent of respondents disapproved of Ms Harris, compared with 44 per cent who disapproved. Ms Harris received significant criticism after her trip to Latin America, as well as stories of chaos among her staff.

Dr Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease and the president’s chief medical adviser, has a 52 per cent approval rating while 47 per cent disapprove of him.

His approval has largely fallen along party lines as right-wing media and Republican politicians have criticised him during both former president Donald Trump and Mr Biden’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. His recent suggestion that he is considering whether there should be vaccine mandates for domestic flights amid a surge in Omicron cases has prompted ire from some conservative figures.

Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts has the highest approval of any federal figure, with 60 per cent of respondents approving of his job performance and 34 per cent disapproving. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, whom Mr Biden re-nominated to serve another term, has a 53 per cent approval rating and 40 per cent will vote disapprove of his performance.

Conversely, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has the lowest approval rating among any federal leader, with 34 per cent approving him and 63 per cent disapproving of him as many Democrats disapprove of him obstructing their agenda and Mr Trump has turned his ire on him for not pushing the Big Lie that 2020 presidential election was stolen.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had the second lowest approval rating, with 58 per cent disapproved of her job performance and 40 per cent approved of her job.

The survey comes less than a year ahead of the 2022 midterm elections, as Republicans are expected to win back majorities in both the House and Senate.