Biden Struggles to Gain Political Footing Ahead of Midterms

President Joe Biden’s approval continues to lag as several domestic and foreign policy challenges cast a shadow over his presidency.

While coronavirus cases have been dropping nationwide, inflation remains a top issue among voters ahead of the midterm elections that will determine control of Congress. Biden’s approval rating stands at 40.7%, according to the 538 polling aggregate, around the same level as former President Donald Trump’s average rating when he was president.

The recent Russian invasion of Ukraine also poses a challenge for the administration. Biden faces pressure from both those arguing for a more interventionist stance as well as those arguing for a more hands-off approach.

A possible positive development for the president is his nomination of Ketanji Brown Jackson to fill the vacancy on the Supreme Court caused by the retirement of Stephen Breyer. While Jackson’s ascension of the court will not cause any substantial change in the ideological makeup of the court, Democrats hope the first black woman on the Supreme Court will excite their base.