Your trusted source

U.S. President Joe Biden's public approval rating fell to the lowest level of his presidency this week as Americans appeared exhausted by the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic toll, according to the latest Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll.

The national poll, conducted Jan. 19-20, found that 43% of U.S. adults approved of Biden's performance in office, while 52% disapproved and the rest were not sure. The prior week's poll had put Biden at a 45% approval rating and 50% disapproval, Reuters reported.

After holding above 50% in his first months in office, Biden's popularity began dropping in mid-August as COVID-19 deaths surged across the country and the U.S.-backed Afghan government collapsed.

The weekly poll showed the top issues concerning Americans were the economy and public health.

At the same point in Donald Trump's presidency, about 37% of Americans approved of his performance in office, while 59% disapproved.

The Reuters/Ipsos poll is conducted online in English throughout the United States. The latest poll gathered responses from a total of 1,004 adults, including 453 Democrats and 365 Republicans. It has a credibility interval - a measure of precision - of 4 percentage points.