Biden's Middle East Policy Faces Growing Negative Public Opinion in the US... Approval Ratings Hit Lowest Point

Negative public opinion among Americans regarding U.S. President Joe Biden's Middle East policy is intensifying ahead of the November presidential election.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

U.S. CBS News and polling firm YouGov released the results on the 14th of a survey conducted from the 9th to the 12th (local time) among 2,399 American adults before Iran's attack on Israel occurred. Only 33% of respondents said they supported President Biden's policy on the Israel-Hamas war. This figure is 11 percentage points lower than the 44% recorded on October 23 of last year, shortly after the war began, and is the lowest in the same series of surveys.

Additionally, 37% of respondents said that President Biden should stop military action against the Gaza Strip. Another 23% said military action should be reduced.

Regarding what action the U.S. should take if Iran attacks Israel, 42% said the U.S. should support Israel but not involve U.S. troops. The response "should not intervene at all" followed at 32%, while only 25% supported military action against Iran. As expected, Iran launched its first full-scale airstrike against Israel on the night of the 13th, firing hundreds of armed drones and missiles, just 12 days after Israel bombed the Iranian consulate in Damascus, Syria, on the 1st, killing a senior commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

Notably, voices opposing military support for Israel gained strength within the Democratic Party. Only 32% of Democratic supporters responded that the U.S. should provide military support to Israel, showing a clear decline from 47% in October last year.

President Biden's approval rating has fallen to 40%, matching the lowest approval rating seen in July 2023. This is also a 2 percentage point drop compared to February (42%).

The decline in support was particularly pronounced among the 18-29 age group, a key strategic demographic for Biden. Among these young adults, Biden's approval rating dropped sharply to 43%, down 12 percentage points from 55% in February. Support for Israel among young people also decreased by 11 percentage points, from 51% in February to 40% currently.

Only 35% of respondents said the U.S. economy is doing well, a 4 percentage point decrease from 39% in February.

CBS noted, "Even in surveys conducted before Iran's attack, support for U.S. military action assuming an Iranian attack was not strong," adding, "Rather, strong public pressure is forming within the Democratic Party to push President Biden."