Biden’s support among Democrats erodes over handling of war between Israel and Hamas

President Biden’s support among Democrats is declining due to his handling of the war between Israel and Hamas, according to a new poll.

A new NBC News poll found that only 34 percent of all voters approved of how Biden is handling the war between Israel and Hamas, which has been ongoing since the Hamas militant group launched its deadly incursion into southern Israel on October 7. After the fighting, Biden has remained steadfast about continued US support for Israel.

NBC News noted that only half of Democratic voters, 51 percent, approved of Biden’s handling of the conflict. Nearly 60 percent of independent voters said they disapproved, while nearly 70 percent of Republicans said the same, the outlet noted.

Some Democrats have come out openly against US support for Israel, arguing that the US should stop funding the country and also calling for a ceasefire in the war. Progressive members of Congress, including Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) and Cori Bush (D-Mo.) have led these calls.

This also comes after a protest broke out outside the Democratic National Committee (DNC) headquarters in Washington, DC last week. Organizers said rallygoers wanted to talk to Democratic lawmakers to discuss a ceasefire in Gaza, but were unable to do so because of a clash with Capitol Police.

The poll also found that Biden’s approval rating fell to 40 percent, which he said is his lowest level of his presidency. NBC News noted that the poll found his support largely eroded among Democrats who believe Israel has overstepped the line on its military action in Gaza, as well as among voters ages 18 to 34. Among this age group, 70 percent disapprove of Biden’s handling of the war.

“Joe Biden is at an exceptionally low point in his presidency, and a big part of this, especially within the Biden coalition, is because of how Americans view his foreign policy actions,” said Democratic pollster Jeff Horwitt of Hart Research Associates, who helped conduct this survey, told NBC.

He said that “it is surprising because of the impact that the war between Israel and Hamas is having on Biden.” However, he also warned that Biden can likely win back these voters, pointing to former President Trump’s looming legal battles as an obstacle for the president’s opponent.

The survey was conducted among 1,000 registered voters between Nov. 10 and Nov. 14, with a margin of error of 3.1 percentage points.