Biden's approval rating at 31% with critical independent voters, 80% say US is doing badly: poll

President Joe Biden's approval rating with independent voters, a critical bloc ahead of the 2024 election, is at 31%, while 80% of them say things in America are going "somewhat" or "very" badly, according to a new poll.

Biden's overall approval rating of 40% is largely supported by Democrats, 79% of whom approve of the president, according to a CBS News/YouGov survey released Sunday.

However, 60% of U.S. adults said they disapprove of the way Biden is handling his job as president, including 69% of independent voters, the poll showed.

Additionally, just 20% of independent voters say things in America are going "somewhat" or "very" well, compared to 80% who said the state of the country is doing badly. 

Overall, 72% of Americans said the country is doing badly, including 52% of Democrats.

The poll was conducted Sept. 5-8, with 2,335 U.S. adults and has a 2.7% margin of error.

Biden's approval rating is slightly higher than it was in a CNN survey released last week, where it sat at 39%.

Political independents, which make up 38% of the U.S. public per Pew Research, play a critical role in elections, as they tend to vote for candidates on issues rather than party affiliation.

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