Biden’s Approval Rating Jumps 8 Points After State Of The Union, With Strong Support Of Handling Of Ukraine Crisis

Topline

President Joe Biden’s approval rating has rebounded after hitting record lows in recent months, with a new NPR/Marist poll finding the share of Americans who approve of the president has risen eight percentage points following his State of the Union address while a majority support his response to the crisis in Ukraine.

President Joe Biden delivers the State of the Union address in the U.S. Capitol House Chamber on … [+] March 1 in Washington, DC.

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Key Facts

The poll, conducted March 1-2 among 1,322 U.S. adults, found 47% of respondents approved of Biden, up from 39% last week.

The bump, recorded right after Biden’s State of the Union speech on Tuesday, is “unusual” for a president––NPR notes there have only been six instances since 1978 in which a president’s approval rating has gone up by more than four points after the speech.

The increase was largely thanks to Democrats and Independents—whose approval of Biden went up by 11 points and 10 points, respectively—but Republican support also rose from 6% to 10% between last week and this week.

The poll found 52% approved of Biden’s response to Ukraine—a notable increase over the 34% who said the same last week—including 89% of Democrats, 17% of Republicans and 48% of Independents.

As the Biden administration released a new strategy this week to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic, 55% said they approve of his handling of the coronavirus, up eight points from last month.

Biden’s approval rating for his handling of the economy rose eight points to 45%.

Big Number

83%. That’s the share of respondents who support economic sanctions over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine—the primary way that Biden has chosen to respond to it. The poll found 43% of respondents believe the president is being too “cautious,” but a 46% plurality say his actions have been “on the mark.”

Surprising Fact

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has led to a spike in gas prices—but many respondents don’t mind. A 69% majority of respondents said they support economic sanctions against Russia “even if it results in higher energy prices” at home, including 58% of Republicans.

Tangent

While Americans approve of how Biden’s handling the conflict, they’re still fearful of what may come next. A 78% majority say they’re worried about potential Russian cyberattacks against the U.S. or that war will break out in Europe, and 70% are afraid the conflict will lead to the use of nuclear weapons.

Key Background

Biden has seen his approval ratings stumble in recent months as Americans have become frustrated with his handling of the economy and his administration’s response to the ongoing pandemic. His approval ratings started steadily declining in late August and have continually hit record lows, including as recently as last week. The president’s State of the Union address dealt heavily with Ukraine, warning Russian President Vladimir Putin would “pay a price” for the invasion and announcing the U.S. was closing its airspace to Russian planes. The president also highlighted domestic topics, previewing his administration’s new Covid-19 strategy and drawing some Republican support by refuting calls to “defund the police.”