- President Biden in November told his closest advisors that his poll numbers were too low, per WaPo.
- Biden during the White House meeting asked what his campaign was doing to combat the situation.
Shortly before Thanksgiving, President Joe Biden told his closest advisors that his polling numbers were too low and asked what his campaign staff was doing to combat his precarious political situation, according to The Washington Post.
Per The Post, Biden assembled his aides in the White House residence, where he grumbled that his economic message wasn't boosting his standing among the American public, despite continued job growth and unemployment numbers that have remained low.
And it's not just Biden making complaints, according to the report.
First Lady Jill Biden has reportedly joined her husband in expressing their frustration at his poll numbers, which have made his expected rematch against former President Donald Trump extraordinarily competitive less than a year before the November 2024 election.
Biden is especially vulnerable regarding economic concerns, as a recent New York Times/Siena poll revealed that 62% of voters in six key swing states (Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin) described the economy as either "fair" or "poor."
National polls taken since the summer have shown Biden either ahead with a small lead, tied with Trump, or falling behind the former president, despite the GOP frontrunner's legal problems and his broad unpopularity among broad swaths of the electorate.
According to FiveThirtyEight, Biden is currently averaging a 55.3% disapproval rating, with 39% approving of his job performance.
In recent swing state polls, including surveys for Georgia and Michigan, Trump has has pulled ahead of Biden, a development that could threaten down-ballot Democrats as they look to not only retain control of the Senate but also flip the House.
Democratic Rep. Debbie Dingell, the Michigan lawmaker who in 2016 warned her party of Trump's appeal to voters in her state, told The Post that "there's work to do" regarding the 2024 race.
"Next year is going to be a very competitive race," she continued. "The country is angry."
Andrew Bates, a White House spokesperson, told The Post in a statement that Biden and the first lady "meet regularly with their senior team for updates and to review plans."
"We do not discuss the President's private conversations one way or the other," he added.