By Chris Kahn and James Oliphant
NEW YORK (Reuters) – President Joe Biden is shedding support from independents, a crucial voting bloc that helped Democrats win the White House and Congress last year, as a resurgence of COVID-19 cases slows the country’s return to normal from the pandemic, Reuters/Ipsos polling shows.
The drop in support comes at a precarious time for the first-year president, whose administration has been under fire for its handling of the pullout of U.S. forces from Afghanistan.
On Thursday, more than a dozen U.S. troops and dozens of civilians were killed when suicide bombers struck the crowded gates of Kabul airport.
At home, the COVID-19 pandemic has surged anew, especially in populous Republican-led states such as Florida and Texas that have resisted new restrictions to hamper the spread of the Delta variant of the virus. Despite Biden’s push for vaccinations, 39% of U.S. residents have not had even their first shot, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The national opinion poll, conducted Aug. 13-19, found that Biden’s net approval among independents dropped by 14 percentage points overall since June, and by 19 points for his handling of the coronavirus. Still, a slim majority of independents – 53% – said they approve of Biden’s pandemic response. https://graphics.reuters.com/USA-BIDEN/APPROVAL/lbvgnnzgapq
Independents are turning away from Biden even though most share his concerns about the coronavirus and have…
