Joe Biden has seen his support among Hispanics plummet in the past 12 months, with only 26 percent of those polled approving of the job h...
Joe Biden has seen his support among Hispanics plummet in the past 12 months, with only 26 percent of those polled approving of the job he is doing in a new survey - a decrease of more than half.
The president was elected with a 59 percent majority of the Hispanic vote, with Donald Trump winning 38 percent.
In the first spring of his presidency, 55 percent of Hispanics said they approved of him, according to a May 2021 poll by Quinnipiac University.
But a new poll out this week shows that the support has fallen to just 26 percent.
Among all voters, Biden's approval is currently at 41.1 percent, according to FiveThirtyEight's poll aggregator.
His approval ratings fell below his disapproval ratings in August, and have only fallen further since then.
Donald Trump's approval rating was almost as poor as Biden's at the same point in his presidency, with an approval rating of 42.4.
Of the post-war presidents, only Gerald Ford was worse, at 39 percent approval.
Barack Obama was significantly higher, at just below 58 percent; George W. Bush was at an astonishing 72 percent.
Only 26 percent of Hispanics polled from May 12-16 said they approve strongly or approve somewhat of Joe Biden's performance as president, according to a new poll
In May 2021, Biden had a 55 percent approval rating from Hispanics - only slightly down from the percentage who voted for him in November 2020
Biden's handling of the economy came in for particularly strong criticism.
Only 27 percent of Hispanics approved of his economic policies - a more damning assessment than that delivered by the electorate as a whole.
Nationwide, 32 percent approve, while 63 percent disapprove.
Among Hispanics, inflation was ranked as the most pressing issue from a list of 11 topics - an assessment also shared by white and black voters.
Hispanic voters said that the Russian invasion of Ukraine was the second most pressing concern, followed by climate change and abortion.
White voters said abortion was the second most important issue, followed by election laws and immigration.
Black voters felt that racial inequality was the second most pressing concern, followed by abortion.
Members of the Cubans for Biden movement are seen campaigning in October 2020 in Miramar, Florida
Biden's supporters in Florida are seen waving the Dominican flag at a rally in Miami in September 2020. Trump narrowly won the state, with the vote 51.2 percent to 47.9
Quinnipiac surveyed 1,586 U.S. adults nationwide from May 12-16, with a margin of error of plus or minus 2.5 percentage points.
The survey included 1,421 registered voters.
Hispanic voters are a large and diverse segment of the electorate and are not uniform in how they vote.
In Florida for example, many are Cuban-Americans who tilt more conservative.
In the American Midwest and West, a majority are of Mexican origin, have traditionally tended to vote Democrat, and live in swing states, including Arizona.
Hispanic supporters of Donald Trump are seen at a rally on the outskirts of Las Vegas in November 2020
Heading into the November midterms, the White House will need to focus on addressing voter concerns about rising inflation.
Annual inflation rate in the US slowed to 8.3 percent in April from a 41-year high of 8.5 percent in March, but less than market forecasts of 8.1 percent.
On Thursday - a day after suffering a more than 1,100-point drop, its worst of the year - the Dow Jones industrial average closed down 236.94 points, or 0.8 percent, at 31,253.13.
Gas prices hit a fresh record high Thursday, with the national average climbing to $4.58 a gallon, according to data tracked by AAA.
A White House spokesperson blamed high prices largely on Russia's invasion of Ukraine and said Latino families had benefited from Biden's 2021 $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act, which expanded the child tax credit, sent direct cash payments to most Americans, and bailed out businesses.
'President Biden knows how higher prices can impact a family budget,' the spokesperson said earlier this month.
'This is why he is fighting every day to bring down gas prices and lowering kitchen table costs that are squeezing Latino families across the country.'
President Joe Biden speaks as Finland's president Sauli Niinisto (L) and Sweden's prime minister Magdalena Andersson (R) listen during a news conference in the Rose Garden at the White House on Thursday
Most economists say inflation is caused by a number of factors, largely beyond Biden's control.
Global supply chain blockages have been a major cause of price hikes, while oil prices were spiking even before the war in Ukraine.
Many economists also say the Biden administration's spending on COVID relief has fueled rising prices, but note that failure to bail out the economy would have led to a recession.
A spokesperson for the Republican National Committee said the party will be highlighting what they call 'reckless spending' by Democrats as a factor in rising inflation.
They will tell voters that Republican-controlled states such as Florida and Texas that kept schools and businesses open during the pandemic will be used as a role model for Hispanic voters who they say want to work and earn higher wages.
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