President Joe Biden is set to address the nation Thursday afternoon in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. He will do so from a decidedly weak political position, according to recent poll numbers.
Just 36% of Americans approved of how Biden has handled the situation with Russia, while 55% disapproved, Gallup’s latest survey showed. The poll was conducted from Feb. 1-17, as tensions between Russia and Ukraine were rising, but before Russia invaded. Those numbers are largely unchanged since an August 2021 Gallup poll, which showed Biden’s Russian approval at 39%.
A meager 11% of Republicans approved of how Biden has dealt with Russia, while just 35% of independents approved, according to Gallup’s newest poll. Even Democrats were skeptical of his approach, with 64% approving Biden’s handling of Russia.
Those numbers are roughly in line with where Biden finds himself in other national polls. A new AP-NORC poll found that 44% of Americans approved of how Biden is handling the US relationship with Russia, while 55% disapproved. That survey was conducted Feb. 18-21.