Joe Biden on Track to Leave Office With Lowest Approval Rate Since He Arrived to the White House

President Joe Biden is poised to conclude his term with the lowest approval rating, according to a new Marquette Law School Poll.

The survey found Biden's approval rating dropped to 34% in December, down from 38% during the last month of the 2024 presidential campaign, marking a continued decline since his initial approval rating of 58% in July 2021.

The poll also examined Biden's favorability, which decreased to 37% in December, nearing its lowest recorded point of 34% in July 2022. The president's decision to issue an expansive pardon for his son Hunter was widely unpopular among those surveyed, with 71% of respondents disapproving of it, including 77% of independents and 92% of Republicans. Only 53% of Democrats supported the pardon.

The survey also highlighted public perceptions of President-elect Donald Trump's first term and his Cabinet selections for the upcoming administration. A slight majority, 53%, approved of Trump's performance from 2017 to 2021, an increase from 50% who felt that way in October. However, opinions on his Cabinet appointments were almost evenly split, with 51% disapproving and 49% approving.

Among Trump's Cabinet choices, Sen. Marco Rubio received favorable ratings as secretary of state, while other nominees faced more mixed responses. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump's pick for the Department of Health and Human Services, received evenly split opinions while defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth and attorney general nominee Pam Bondi were viewed unfavorably by 37% and 31% of respondents, respectively.

The poll also revealed broad support (73%) for the Senate to conduct hearings on Trump's nominees, with strong majorities among Democrats, independents, and even a slim majority of Republicans agreeing that the process should not be expedited.

Another surprising finding was that the U.S. Supreme Court rose to highest level of approval since March 2022, with 48% of those polled saying that Justices are doing a good job, up from 45% in October.