By Jan Wolfe
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden's public approval rating fell to 41% this week, a blow to his Democratic Party's hopes of retaining control of Congress in November's elections, according to a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll.
Sagging under the weight of higher consumer costs, the 41% approval rating was just above Biden's all-time low of 40% hit in mid-March, one of the lowest levels of support in his presidency. The drop suggests that the small burst of momentum Biden briefly enjoyed last week, when he hit 45%, has stalled.
Inflation, which hit a 40-year high on Tuesday, is seen as a major liability for his party as it heads into the elections. Americans are struggling with rising energy and food costs fueled by the war in Ukraine.
The poll found Americans want Biden to prioritize economic issues, with 27% saying the economy is the most important problem facing the United States today.
On Tuesday, Biden unveiled plans to extend availability of higher biofuel blends of gasoline during the summer to curb soaring fuel costs and to cut reliance on foreign energy sources.
Democrats are widely expected to lose control of the House of Representatives and possibly the Senate to Republicans, who would likely block many of Biden's legislative efforts.
The two-day national poll found 53% of Americans disapprove of Biden's job performance. Only one-quarter of Americans said they believe the country was headed in the right direction.
The Reuters/Ipsos poll is conducted online in English throughout the United States. The latest poll gathered responses from a total of 1,005 adults, including 444 Democrats and 369 Republicans. It has a credibility interval - a measure of precision - of +/- 4 percentage points.