Things are going so bad for the Biden administration that for the second week in a row, one of the liberal Sunday morning talk shows was forced to lead with terrible polling numbers for Biden and the Democrats. On Sunday morning ABC's This Week, anchor George Stephanopoulos led the show with the disastrous polling numbers.
"We begin with our brand new poll with IPSOS. It shows big challenges for President Biden heading into this year’s midterm elections. Three out of four Americans are pessimistic about the state of the economy" Stephanopoulos began the show announcing.
Adding: "Only 29 percent support deploying troops to counter the Russian threat to Ukraine. And more than three-quarters of all Americans question the President's pledge to consider only black women to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer. Saying he should consider all possible nominees."
He then went to chief Washington correspondent Jon Karl to report on the Biden administration's ongoing troubles. Karl began by referring to an incident earlier this week in which Biden cursed out Fox News White House correspondent Peter Doocy, calling it an "untriggered flash of frustration triggered by a shouted question."
Karl then seemed to excuse Biden's outburst by proclaiming "Biden has ample reason to be frustrated." He went on to list a litany of troubles Biden is facing:
He starts the second year of his presidency with his lowest approval rating yet. Voting rights legislation failed, as did the centerpiece of his domestic agenda. Opposed by every single Republican, and tanked by fellow Democrats. Frustration abroad too. North Korean missile tests, Iran advancing its nuclear programs, and fears Russia may invade Ukraine. Biden is sending some U.S. troops to Eastern Europe but he candidly acknowledged there's only so much he can do.
But of course, even segments highlighting troubles for Democrats must include some good news. For instance, Karl eagerly acknowledged that "it was welcome news at the White House this week when word came that Justice Stephen Breyer would be retiring from the Supreme Court, giving Biden a chance to change the subject and to make history." Karl continued: "keeping a campaign promise to nominate the first black woman to the Supreme Court."
While it's true having the opportunity to appoint a Supreme Court Justice is helpful to a President, announcing ahead of time that you will only nominate someone of a certain race and gender (which 76 percent of poll respondents said he should consider all possible candidates) is not going to help the Biden administration politically.
To read the relevant transcript of this segment click "expand":
ABC's This Week With George Stephanopoulos
1/30/2022
9:01:51 AMGEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Good morning. And welcome to This Week. We have a lot to cover this morning. And we begin with our brand new poll with IPSOS. It shows big challenges for President Biden heading into this year’s midterm elections. Three out of four Americans are pessimistic about the state of the economy. Only 29% support deploying troops to counter the Russian threat to Ukraine. And more than three-quarters of all Americans question the President's pledge to consider only black women to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer. Saying he should consider all possible nominees. Chief Washington correspondent Jon Karl starts us off.
JON KARL: It was an untriggered flash of frustration triggered by a shouted question.
PETER DOOCY: Do you think inflation is a political liability ahead of the midterms?
JOE BIDEN: It's a great asset. More inflation. What a stupid son of a bitch.
KARL: Not President Biden’s finest moment. He later apologized. But Biden has ample reason to be frustrated. He starts the second year of his presidency with his lowest approval rating yet. Voting rights legislation failed, as did the centerpiece of his domestic agenda. Opposed by every single Republican, and tanked by fellow Democrats. Frustration abroad too. North Korean missile tests, Iran advancing its nuclear programs, and fears Russia may invade Ukraine. Biden is sending some U.S. troops to Eastern Europe but he candidly acknowledged there's only so much he can do.
BIDEN: I don't think even his people know for certain what he's going to do.
KARL: So it was welcome news at the White House this week, when word came that Justice Stephen Breyer would be retiring from the Supreme Court, giving Biden a chance to change the subject and to make history. Keeping a campaign promise to nominate the first black woman to the Supreme Court.
BIDEN: It's long overdue in my view. I made that commitment during the campaign for President, and I will keep that commitment.
KARL: And while the retirement of a liberal Justice won't give Biden the opportunity to change the court’s conservative majority, maybe just maybe he can get at least some Republican support for whoever he nominates.
BIDEN: I’m going to invite Senators from both parties to offer their ideas and points of view.
KARL: And a foreshadowing of what is likely to come though, Republican leader Mitch McConnell declared, quote, the President must not out source this important decision to the radical left prompting a sharp response from the White House.
WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY JEN PSAKI: If anyone is saying they plan to characterize whoever he nominates after thorough consideration with both parties as radical before they know literally anything about who she is, they just obliterated their own credibility.
KARL: With a 50-50 Senate there's no room for error. Biden can reach out to Republicans, but can't count on them. He’ll need all 50 Democrats healthy, voting, and onboard. And in announcing his plan to retire Justice Breyer invoked Lincoln's words at Gettysburg and offered his own plea for an American democracy that seems more fragile than it has for a long time.
JUSTICE STEPHEN BREYER: We are now engaged in a great civil war. To determine whether that nation or any nation so conceived and so dedicated can long endure. And I found some letters that George Washington wrote where he said the same thing. It's an experiment. And I'll tell you something, you know who will see whether that experiment works, it's you my friends.
