Harris And Biden Both See Favourability Increase

The approval rating of US President Joe Biden, and the favourability of Vice President Kamala Harris, have both ticked up significantly since the Democratic Party switched up the top of the ticket.

• According to 538, Biden's approval rating hit 42.3% yesterday, the highest level Biden has recorded on the tracker since March 2023.
• Harris' favourability, a slightly different but comparable measure, is currently at 46.4%, the highest for either Biden or Harris since August 2021, before the US military withdrawal from Afghanistan prompted a steady decline in approval of the administration.
• Former President Donald Trump's favourability rating is comparable to Harris' at 43%, but he experiences a far higher a 'unfavourability' rating of 52.5% to Harris' 46.8%.
• The approval bounce for Democrats could support the theory the presidential nominee change has resolved some of the Biden-specific issues with the Democratic ticket.
• Biden's slight boost in approval, likely due to Democrats expressing approval of his decision to withdraw from the race, could reduce some of Harris' exposure to Biden's unpopular incumbency, seen as a crucial electoral drag for Harris to overcome.