Fears over economy and pandemic sink Biden's popularity to 50.4%, - the lowest of his presidency, new polls show
Joe Biden's popularity dipped across several polls conducted from mid July through early August
Joe Biden's popularity has fallen to its lowest point during his tenure as president with only 50.4 percent of Americans approving of his job in the White House, the latest data show.
Biden has seen a slight but steady drop in popularity since taking office, but concerns over the US economy and a return to COVID pandemic-era measures are making Americans doubt the direction he's taking the country.
The president's disapproval rating has also been rising and reached the highest it's been so far in August when it passed 43 percent, according to poll aggregator site FiveThirtyEight.
Approval of Biden has been lower than his former boss Barack Obama thus far in his term. It's also far below fellow Democrats Jimmy Carter and John F. Kennedy, and is roughly level with George W. Bush at this point in his first term.
A separate Harvard-Harris poll from the end of July saw Biden's approval rating plummet 10 points from June.
Biden's approval rating dropped to 50 percent in early August after hovering at 54 percent for roughly two weeks, according to Ipsos polling data.
An 82 percent approval rating with Democrats against 19 percent favorability among Republicans shows the wide partisan divide Biden has to straddle.
A poll aggregation site found Biden's disapproval rating also reached a record high for his White House term in August
A majority of Americans are cynical about the direction of the country in general
The dip mirrors a drop in optimism about the US - an overwhelming 54 percent of adults said the country is on the wrong track against 29 percent who said the opposite.
The economy and unemployment as well as public health are the top two issues facing Americans, two of the aggregated polls found.
Economic concerns have come with the biggest jump in inflation seen in more than a decade at 5.4 percent over a year.
A survey by the Federal Reserve reflected the majority of Americans expecting it to rise even more.
On the other side, business owners are struggling to find workers amid a post-pandemic labor shortage. Job openings hit a record high of 9.2 million in June.
Biden's dipping favorability comes as US coronavirus fears remain high
People surveyed in one poll said the pandemic was getting worse in their own communities
The COVID pandemic has also been weighing on Americans' minds as soaring infections fueled by the Delta variant pushed some areas to reinstate mask mandates per guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
Louisiana and parts of California have reinstated mask mandates regardless of vaccination status amid surging COVID rates.
In early July the CDC made a reversal on its mask guidance, recommending that even fully-vaccinated Americans wear masks in crowded situations if they live in a coronavirus hotspot.
Biden promised a 2021 'summer of freedom' in mid-June, but according to YouGov a majority of Americans - 38 percent - think the pandemic will 'get worse' instead.
Biden's promise of a 'summer of freedom' dimmed as mask mandates made a return just week ago
Among Black Americans, a key demographic who helped propel Biden to the presidency, more than half believe the worst of COVID is yet to come.
US coronavirus cases are almost at 36 million. More than 317,000 people have died.
More than 60 percent of Americans surveyed know someone who tested positive for the virus, according to YouGov, and a majority feel that infections are rising in their own communities.
That poll also showed a majority of Americans feeling negative about the country's future, with 53 percent saying the US is on the wrong track.
FiveThirtyEight's poll aggregation took the opinions of 6,607 US adults across five polls conducted between July 31 and August 8.