NBC News anchor Kristen Welker expressed disappointment on Sunday upon discovering that voters are not attributing positive economic developments to President Joe Biden. This sentiment arose after Donald Trump outperformed Biden in the most recent NBC News poll.
In the latest episode of Meet the Press, the host, Welker, presented a new poll that she described as “stunning.” According to the poll, Trump is currently leading Biden by five points overall, which is an increase from his previous two-point lead in November. Moreover, Trump is also ahead of Biden on key issues.
According to Kornacki, this is the largest lead that Trump has had over Biden since they started conducting this poll in 2019.
He also pointed out that Biden’s approval ratings are significantly lower than the polling numbers of other presidents who were running for a second term around this time in their own reelection campaigns.
According to him, when voters were asked about their opinion on the job he is doing, it was found that 37% approve while a significant 60% disapprove.
According to Kornacki, when entering their reelection year, the approval ratings of previous presidents were as follows: Bush had an approval rating of over 50% and went on to win. Obama had an approval rating of almost 50% and also won. In contrast, Trump had an approval rating of 46% and ended up losing the election. Comparatively, Biden’s approval rating is significantly lower than his predecessors at this stage.
Welker pointed out that their numbers were all much bigger than President Biden’s.
Welker was especially surprised when it came to the economy.
Steve Kornacki pointed out that the driving issues behind this situation are primarily related to the economy. It comes as no surprise that this topic has been a major point of discussion. Interestingly, Trump holds a significant advantage in this area, with a lead of 22 points.
Welker responded to Steve, highlighting the remarkable state of the economy. Jobs have seen an increase, while inflation has experienced a decline. However, voters seem to overlook these positive factors and fail to give credit to the current administration for its achievements.
The media often portrays the issue as voters not acknowledging Biden’s role in the economy, constantly emphasizing how great it is. However, given that many working Americans are still facing challenges like high prices and reduced purchasing power, it’s possible that they are actually attributing their situation to Biden when they give him low ratings.
WELKER : Steve, these are some truly stunning numbers. KORNACKI : They really are, Christine. And let’s just start with the bottom line. When you ask folks, hey, if it’s the general election and it’s Trump versus Biden, in our poll, Donald Trump now leads Joe Biden by five points. Compare that to the last time we pulled back in November. Trump was ahead then, but it was only by two points. It’s even more significant when you look at it this way. Over time, we have been testing for five years now, going back to 2019. A Biden-Trump match-up. Remember 2019, 2020 Joe Biden led. He led big in every single one of our polls. For the first time in November, Donald Trump pulled ahead in our poll. And now, at five points, this is the biggest lead NBC has ever had in 16 polls for Donald Trump over Joe Biden. And of course, undergirding all of this is this question of – he is the incumbent, Joe Biden. We asked voters, what do you think of the job he’s doing? And look at that, Kristen, 37% approve and now 60% disapprove. WELKER : And we should say that is the lowest approval rating since former President George W. Bush’s second term. Yeah. KORNACKI : And it’s – put that in further context to Bush in his second term wasn’t running for reelection. Here’s the presidents who were running for reelection in our poll. Starting their reelection year, what was their approval rating? Bush was over 50. He won. Obama was almost at 50. He won. Trump four years ago with 46. He lost. Look how low Biden’s number is compared to those predecessors at this point. WELKER : Their numbers all much bigger than President Biden’s are. KORNACKI : It shows you the improvement Biden has to make here in the coming months. The issues that are driving this, too: the economy, no surprise we’ve been talking about it. But look at that advantage for Trump, 22 points. And securing the border here, folks. A very important Trump with a 35-point advantage. WELKER : The economy is so striking, Steve, because jobs are up. Inflation is down. Voters aren’t giving him credit for that, clearly. KORNACKI : Yeah. There are a couple areas in here, I think, where Democrats see potential opportunities to grow Biden’s support. Certainly they are hoping the economy, folks change their perceptions of it and start rewarding Biden for it. That’s what they’re hoping, certainly.
The video above can be viewed via NBC News.