Biden approval falling ahead of midterms

With two weeks remaining until the midterm elections in November, President Joe Biden's approval rating is ticking back down, potentially spelling electoral disaster for the Democrats.

In Gallup's October survey, Biden earned a 40% approval rating, down two points from the 42% he enjoyed in September. Meanwhile, 56% of respondents disapproved of his performance. Throughout September, Biden enjoyed rising approval ratings from his summer lows that generally put him in the high 30s.

The midterm contest is traditionally something of a referendum on the president's performance with the incumbent party almost always losing seats in both chambers of Congress. Biden's falling approval appears to coincide with rising GOP prospects in the polls.

The Republicans enjoyed a 3-point over Democrats in the generic ballot as of last week. Meanwhile, election forecasters are increasingly bullish about GOP prospects of taking the Senate and winning several competitive gubernatorial races.