NEWS AND OPINION:
A Monmouth University Polling Institute survey released Wednesday has some noteworthy news for President Biden and former President Donald Trump.
“Trump’s retrospective job rating is better than Mr. Biden’s current numbers,” notes an analysis of the findings.
“President Biden’s overall job rating remains decidedly negative. On top of that, his rating is lower than public memory of how his predecessor, Donald Trump, performed when he occupied the White House,” the analysis said.
“Opinion of Mr. Biden’s job performance as president is nominally lower than it was in April, but in statistical terms, it is in line with his ratings since last fall. Currently, 38% approve and 58% disapprove of the job Biden is doing. This is down slightly from two months ago (42% approve and 55% disapprove), but within the range of his ratings since September (which bottomed out at 34% approve and 61% disapprove in December,” the analysis noted.
“Monmouth also asked Americans to give a retrospective rating of how former President Trump did when he was in office. Mr. Trump not only gets higher ratings – 47% approve and 50% disapprove – than the current president, but he gets a nominally better rating now than he did during most of his actual presidency. Trump’s best marks in Monmouth’s polling during his term came in March 2020 (46% approve and 48% disapprove) and just after he lost reelection to Biden in November 2020 (46% approve and 51% disapprove).
Otherwise, Mr. Trump’s job approval rating tended to hover in the low-40s during his time as president,” the analysis noted.
“If reelection bids are a referendum of presidential job performance, 2024 presents a unique case with two officeholders on the ballot. And that is posing a problem for Mr. Biden. Independents who are unhappy with the current incumbent seem to have developed a view of the Trump presidency that is somewhat rosier than the opinion they held when he was actually in office,” Monmouth polling director Patrick Murray said in a written statement released Wednesday.
REPUBLICAN KNOW-HOW
The Republican National Committee is tracking the economy and job creation, along with the role of politics in the trends.
“Republican-led states are the ones creating jobs and leading economic growth. The latest state jobs report shows that 12 of the top 16 states for jobs recovered since the coronavirus pandemic began are led by Republican governors,” the committee said in a report shared with Inside the Beltway.
The report also noted that all 14 of the top jobs-recovery states have Republican legislatures.
“Tennessee and Mississippi, both Republican-controlled states, have been the only states to reach new record low unemployment rates in 2024. The latest report from the Bureau of Economic Analysis found that nine of the top 10 states with the highest real GDP growth in the fourth quarter of 2023 have Republican governors,” the report noted.
“The top 10 states with the largest increases in personal income in the fourth quarter of 2023 are all led by Republicans,” it said.
WEARY OF INFLATION
Tired of ever-rising prices? Rep. Jodey Arrington — who had a thought or two on the Consumer Price Index report for May, which was released Wednesday. It revealed that inflation remained unchanged from April, with year-over-year inflation coming in at 3.3%.
The House Budget Committee, which Mr. Arrington chairs, said even that’s not the whole story.
“Americans continue to feel the effects of Bidenomics on the economy. Since President Biden took office, prices have increased by a total of 19.3%. This means that the average family of four is paying an additional $17,080 per year or $1,423 per month to purchase the same goods and services,” noted the committee’s study of the report released Wednesday.
“The American people have suffered the consequences of Democrats’ runaway spending and Biden’s failed economic policies for far too long,” Mr. Arrington said in a statement shared with Inside the Beltway.
“Falling workforce participation, worsening consumer confidence, and doubts about future economic growth all paint a bleak picture for our nation’s fiscal health. Under President Biden, prices have risen almost 20% and inflation has proved painfully persistent making life for working Americans very difficult and unsustainable,” the Texas Republican noted.
“We must stop the unbridled spending and return to pro-growth policies to Reverse the Curse of a looming recession and debt crisis and get America back on a sustainable fiscal path,” Mr. Arrington advised.
MEANWHILE IN NEW YORK
The always active New York Young Republicans Club is planning a “patriotic evening” for its many members at a private location in the city on Thursday evening.
The star of the event is Newsmax anchor Carl Higbie, a former Navy SEAL and author of “Profiles in Freedom: Heroes Who Shaped America.”
The club is not done yet, however. It will also host an official celebration of “cigars, bourbon, scotch and more” on Friday in the city.
“Space is limited so get your tickets fast. Our last Cigar Night sold out,” the club advised its members in an advisory.
The club was founded in 1911, by the way, and is a “descendant” of the New York Young Men’s Republican Union, founded in 1856.
POLL DU JOUR
• 43% overall say they are “worse off financially” than they were a year ago; 61% of Republicans, 45% of independents and 24% of Democrats agree.
• 47% of Whites, 37% of Hispanics and 29% of Blacks also agree.
• 39% of U.S. adults say they are “about the same financially” as they were a year ago; 29% of Republicans, 38% of independents and 50% of Democrats agree.
• 37% of Whites, 50% of Hispanics and 40% of Blacks also agree.
• 14% overall say they are “better off financially” than a year ago; 9% of Republicans, 11% of independents and 23% of Democrats agree.
• 15% of Whites, 11% of Hispanics and 19% of Blacks also agree.
• 4% overall are not sure about the issue; 1% of Republicans, 7% of independents and 3% of Democrats agree.
• 2% of Whites, 2% of Hispanics and 11% of Blacks also agree.
SOURCE: An Economist/YouGov poll of 1,595 U.S. adults conducted online June 9-11.
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• Jennifer Harper can be reached at jharper@washingtontimes.com.