Biden's approval sinks to the lowest of his presidency at 37%

Biden’s approval sinks to the LOWEST of his presidency at 37% amid a report White House aides ‘struggle to the 80-year-old do events in the morning or evening’ because of his age

• Biden hits 37% in new Gallup poll on his favorability – a record low
• Comes as questions linger about his age – Biden, at 80, is oldest president
• New report in Axios has aides saying they struggle to get him to do events in the morning or evening 
• White House official tells DailyMail.com the ‘timing of our specific events is often so to hit broadcast news in the best window’

President Joe Biden’s approval rating has slipped to the lowest of his presidency as questions about his health continue with a new report claiming aides struggle to get the 80-year-old to do evening or morning events.

Biden’s favorability was 37% in a new Gallup poll out this week, the lowest rating Gallup has measured for him to date. He started his presidency at 57% approval rating and had been averaging in the low 40s.  

And some close Biden advisers told Axios that the president ‘has diminished his energy, significantly limiting his schedule.’ They note it’s hard to schedule public or private events in the morning, in the evening or on weekends. Most of the president’s events happen between 10 am and 4 pm. 

All this comes after Biden announced this week he’ll seek a second term in the White House. 

White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates questioned the premise of the story and sent to DailyMail.com a response he sent to Axios, which was not included in their report: ‘Are these the same ‘advisers and close allies’ who you wrote on April 3 ‘don’t expect him to announce a run for re-election any time soon?’ 

Biden’s favorability was 37% in a new Gallup poll out this week, the lowest rating Gallup has measured for him to date

Axios did a breakdown of Biden’s schedule so far in 2023 and found: 

• Only four public events before 10 a.m. 
• Just a dozen public events after 6 p.m. — mostly dinners and receptions with foreign leaders or fundraisers. 
• 12 full weekends with no public events. 

White House Deputy Chief of Staff Jen O’Malley Dillon simply called the Axios report ‘False.’

White House staff are protective of the president, as is their job. Questions about how far they take that arose this week after Biden was pictured at a press conference on Wednesday with ‘cheat sheets’ – one card outlining a question expected to be asked at his press conference and the other giving the president detailed instructions about an earlier briefing.

Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna said Biden’s staff can go too far. He urged them to let Biden lose and to let him speak off the cuff more. Most of the president’s events are tightly scripted and staff often pull him to the next one quickly in order to limit any presidential spontaneity.

‘I think his staff overprotects him,’ Khanna said on Fox News on Friday morning. ‘Put him out there in a press conference. Who cares is someone makes a gaffe? Everyone does in conversations. Let’s see the authentic president Biden. He is an empathetic person and the more he is out there, the better.’

For Friday, the first event on Biden’s public schedule is his national security briefing at 11:15 am. At 2:30 pm he’ll welcome the Air Force Falcons to the White House for the Commander’s Trophy. And at 6:45 pm he’ll address a Democratic Party fundraiser.

A White House official tells DailyMail.com that the ‘timing of our specific events is often so to hit broadcast news in the best window.’ 

President Joe Biden had trouble remembering the name of his favorite movie when doing an event with children at the White House for Take Your Child to Work Day

Biden is reported to be a night owl. Returning from Ireland, he talked to reporters on the tarmac at 2:30 in the morning. 

He also keeps a heavy travel schedule, including his recent secret trip in the Ukraine, which required an overnight train ride from Poland to Kyiv, before Biden continued his journey to meet with Western allies. 

Biden also has traveled more than Barack Obama for the third year of his presidency, 30 trips compared to Obama’s 27. 

Former President Donald Trump also was a late starter when he occupied the White House. His schedule for the morning famously had what aides dubbed ‘executive time,’ which was typically when Trump watched cable news and scrolled through Twitter.

The former president is also in the upper age range of candidates. If he wins in 2024, he’d be 78 when he’s inaugurated and 82 when he finishes his tenure.

Biden and Trump have another thing in common – both like to leave the White House on weekends to go to their private homes to recharge – Biden to Wilmington and Trump to Mar-a-Lago. 

Republicans, however, are making Biden’s age an issue.

Nikki Haley predicted on Wednesday that Biden would die within five years, warning the country would see a President Kamala Harris.

‘If you vote for Joe Biden, you really are counting on a President Harris. Because the idea that he would make it until 86 years old is not something that I think is likely,’she said in an interview on Fox News.

At 80 Biden is the oldest president in American history. And, if he wins another term, would be 86 at its conclusion.

Photographers picked up the memo, prepared by aides, that carried instructions on how to answer questions that reporters had provided in advance 

On Thursday, Biden raised eyebrows when he did an event with children at the White House for Take Your Child to Work Day but stumbled through answers on his grandchildren, the movie Top Gun and the last country he visited.

He had to rely on the kids to finish his responses to their questions and admitted he was ‘confused’ before one eventually told him it might be time to return to the Oval Office.

It was the first interrogation since he was spotted using a cheat sheet during a press conference when responding to questions from a LA Times reporter. 

His practice of relying on note cards with printed information for his press conferences dates back to the very start of his presidency, when a handy ‘cheat sheet’ contained a pre-determined list of which reporters he should call on.

On Thursday, when he held an event with children on the South Lawn, Biden struggled as he was fielded softball questions on topics ranging from his favorite color to his preferred ice cream flavor.

He then tripped up when a child asked what should have been an easy question; the last country he visited as president.

Instead, he mentioned how many leaders he has met as president. 

‘Last country I’ve traveled – must be the last one I was in, I’ve been to – 89 heads of state so far. 

Finally after a pause a kid yelled out ‘Ireland!’ – Biden’s ancestral homeland that he visited earlier this month. 

‘You’re right, Ireland,’ Biden responded. ‘That’s where it was.’ 

Biden made the most of the event, staying longer than anticipated his staff thought might be wise

Biden spoke about his favorite movie and his favorite color

Another child asked Biden to name his favorite movie. Biden instead opted to say his favorite movie of the year – but got a little help.

‘My favorite movie was the new movie that was about that guy who flies jet planes. You know who I’m talking about?’ he asked, before a kid answered ‘Top Gun.’

‘Top Gun,’ Biden continued. Did you see Top One: Maverick?’

Biden had direct answers to other queries, saying his favorite color is blue and his favorite ice cream is chocolate chip.

The president, at one point, seemed to know he was in the danger zone. ‘I’m getting myself in trouble here, because your parents are saying when is he going to stop?’ he joked.

After more than 20 minutes, one child had a question that seemed to channel what her parents might have been thinking. ‘Mr. President, I heard you have to go back to the Oval Office,’ she told him. 

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