WASHINGTON — Most Americans argue that President Biden has made two of this year’s general election key issues, the cost of living and illegal immigration, worse rather than better during his term.
Fifty-eight percent say Biden’s approach to the cost of living hurts “a little bit” or “a lot,” according to an Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll released Friday. By contrast, only 18% said the president’s policies helped ease pressure.
An even larger majority (56%) said the same about the president’s response to immigration and border security, with just 16% saying Biden has contributed to the issue.
A Gallup poll last month found that 55% of Americans said they were “a lot” worried about inflation, 52% said the same about the economy, and 48% said the same about illegal immigration.
On the other hand, 40% of respondents said that Trump contributed to the cost of living issue during his presidency, a 22 percentage point lead over Biden, while 46% said he strengthened border security. , had a 30-point lead over Biden.
Overall, consumer prices are 19% increase Annual inflation has remained high since Biden took office in January 2021, at 3.5% as of March, according to federal data.
Meanwhile, the United States recorded a record 2.5 million illegal immigrant apprehensions in fiscal year 2023, which ended September 30, and reached a record high of nearly 302,000 in December.
Most people who cross the border illegally are released into the United States to await decisions on their asylum claims in a deeply stalled process. They are first given the right to obtain a work permit after a waiting period of six months.
Biden repealed President Trump’s “remain in Mexico” policy, which required asylum seekers to await decisions south of the border, which Republicans say encouraged more migrants to enter the country illegally. .
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in January that more than 85% of those apprehended for illegal border crossings were released to the United States, up from 71% in October and 74% in November. .
The Associated Press/NORC poll found that 47% of Americans say the 77-year-old president has worsened relations with other countries and abortion laws, among the top issues polled. The score was the worst.
The 45th president appointed three of the Supreme Court justices who voted to overturn Roe v. Wade and strip Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Authority of the federal right to abortion in June 2022.
President Trump eased voter backlash by encouraging Republican-led states to continue allowing abortions past a certain point in pregnancy in cases of rape, incest, or a life-threatening medical condition of the mother. I am trying to do.
Biden has sought to rally voters on the issue of abortion, saying on Wednesday that voters “should choose me” in response to the Arizona Supreme Court’s ruling that criminalized abortion of nearly all pregnancies in the state. Ta.
President Trump said Friday that an Arizona court’s reimposition of the 1864 law was an “overreach” and the state Legislature should “act as soon as possible” to pass new abortion rights.
The poll also found that President Trump also has problems with voters on environmental and election-related issues, with 46% saying he has made climate change worse and the same percentage saying he has no right to vote. They said it would undermine the security of elections.
Biden and Democrats defy predictions of a “red wave” in the 2022 midterm elections by focusing on abortion rights and President Trump’s actions ahead of the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot. His supporters fought police to prevent the certification of the Electoral College. victory.
The AP-NORC poll was conducted April 4-8 among 1,204 U.S. adults and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.9 percentage points.
