This week’s White House Report Card finds President Joe Biden with a much-needed win under his belt, incoming Supreme Court Associate Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first black woman on the court.
While few thought her nomination would fail, it gave Biden something of his own to cheer, especially during a week when former President Barack Obama returned to the White House to relive his Obamacare victory in a celebration notable for how Biden at times was ignored by his guests.
Pollster John Zogby noted how the president’s polls have crept up a bit, to an average of 43% approval, but they aren’t close to a level of comfort for the White House or Democrats.
Conservative analyst Jed Babbin put the spotlight on the illegal immigration crisis at the border that is likely to influence the midterm congressional elections and make the Democrats squirm.
Jed Babbin
Grade D
Biden scored a big win this week with the Senate’s confirmation of Jackson as the new liberal justice on the Supreme Court, replacing Stephen Breyer. The rest of the week was a predictable disaster, beginning with Obama’s visit.
This is almost enough to make me feel a bad for Joe Biden. Almost. pic.twitter.com/TnX2ed2ohZ
— Michael Knowles (@michaeljknowles) April 7, 2022
Obama came for an anniversary celebration of Obamacare’s enactment, which, recall, then-Vice President Biden said was a “big f***ing deal.” After the event, Biden was left wandering aimlessly around the crowd of fans that flocked around Obama with nobody to talk to.
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— House Judiciary GOP (@JudiciaryGOP) April 5, 2022
Biden’s removal of the Title 42 health mandate, which allows some COVID-infected illegal immigrants to be deported immediately from the United States, is expected to increase the flow of illegal immigrants to about 18,000 per week. At that rate, some estimates say the population of illegal immigrants in the U.S. could double under Biden.
The Border Patrol is now issuing smartphones to migrants under the theory that the phones won’t be thrown away and can be used to track the illegal immigrants and remind them of court dates. What could possibly go wrong? Our tax dollars at work.
Meanwhile, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott says he’s about to start busing illegal immigrants out of Texas to drop them at the Capitol. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis wants to send illegal immigrants to Delaware. Publicity stunts? Of course. Justified? Abso-bloody-lutely.
And not that it’s news to anyone, but Biden’s massive economic sanctions against Russia aren’t working. The ruble, which took a hit after the February invasion of Ukraine, has now recovered. Germany continues to buy Russian gas through unsanctioned banks, and Biden is preventing Ukraine from getting the fighter aircraft it needs.
John Zogby
Grade B
High inflation didn’t change this week. More economists are worried about an economic slowdown in the battle against inflation. A horrible massacre by the Russians occurred at a train station as we learned about massacres in the early invasion of Ukraine.
But Biden made history this week by securing the nomination of the first black woman on the Supreme Court, and the textbooks will give him a good grade for the week.
Last week, I reported that his average approval rating was about 40%. If we look at the last four polls conducted entirely in April, his average is 43%. Nothing to brag about — but it is clearly up. We will see if it is a trend, but that is for next week. This week was about better ratings and making history.
Jed Babbin is a Washington Examiner contributor and former deputy undersecretary of defense in the administration of former President George H.W. Bush. Follow him on Twitter @jedbabbin
John Zogby is the founder of the Zogby Survey and senior partner at John Zogby Strategies. His weekly podcast with son and partner Jeremy Zogby can be heard here. Follow him on Twitter @ZogbyStrategies
