Biden slams Republicans 'rooting for a recession' after last jobs report before election

Katherine Doyle

November 04, 11:00 AM November 04, 11:00 AM

President Joe Biden accused Republicans of “rooting for a recession” in a statement on the final pre-election jobs report.

Friday’s report is the last major economic statistic before Election Day in a race where voters’ financial worries appear to be tilting the balance toward Republicans.

Citing historically low unemployment, a growing economy, and lower gas prices, Biden said the report “shows that our jobs recovery remains strong.”

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The White House has downplayed concern of a recession on the horizon despite high inflation, slowing labor force participation, and wage growth year-over-year.

On Friday, Biden said that the “comments by Republican leadership sure seem to indicate they are rooting for a recession.”

“As long as I’m president, I’m not going to accept an argument that the problem is that too many Americans are finding good jobs,” Biden said. The president has attempted to draw a contrast with Republicans as polls indicate that key groups of voters are unhappy with the White House’s handling of the economy.

Yet Biden acknowledged rising prices Friday as the country’s “top economic challenge,” vowing “to do what it takes” to bring these down.

“I know that American families are feeling squeezed,” he said.

In October, the economy added 261,000 jobs, a higher-than-expected number amid the Federal Reserve’s interest rate hikes. Yet the unemployment rate rose slightly to 3.7%, the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed on Friday.

The figures are expected to be closely scrutinized as voters head to the polls next week and Democrats attempt to defend their congressional majorities after two years in office.

Biden has Democrats 'slamming their heads on a ceiling' in search for votes

Katherine Doyle

November 02, 06:30 AM November 02, 06:36 AM

President Joe Biden had hoped a flurry of late summer legislation and the Supreme Court's decision to roll back national abortion rights could help Democrats defy historical midterm trends.

But with less than a week until Election Day, Democrats tethered to the president’s low approval rating face darkening prospects as late ballots break toward Republicans.

In key races across the country, Democrats attempting to keep the party’s control of Congress are struggling to escape voters’ economic concerns and worries about rising crime.

Candidates have attempted to combat a Republican advantage on both issues, but surveys suggest the challenge is only growing.

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Just 19% of voters said the economy was headed in the right direction, down 11 points from August, according to the latest Wall Street Journal poll.

And a majority of voters pin blame on the White House: While 27% said the administration’s policies had a positive impact on the economy, 54% disagreed, the survey showed.

Crime, too, is an issue for voters, with Democrats fighting to distance themselves from policies popular with the party’s far Left.

Meanwhile, the enthusiasm that Gallup registered as high in June for that point in the midterm cycle remains nearly unchanged and is down compared to 2018.

The president’s party typically loses ground in a midterm election, but the picture for Democrats appears to be growing bleaker as the tilt of independent and undecided voters breaks toward Republicans in the final stretch of the race.

On a generic ballot from USA Today-Suffolk University, voters favored Republican candidates at 49%, with Democrats at 45%, a turn from July when Democrats led 44%-40%.

Boosted by undecided voters, forecasts suggest Republicans are poised to capture the five seats necessary to retake the House. A net gain of a single seat in the Senate would secure their advantage in the upper chamber.

Dogged by poor approval ratings, Biden has avoided prominent battlegrounds in the countdown to Election Day, including high-profile races in Arizona, Nevada, and Georgia, which helped elect him.

Instead, the president has focused on events that promote his agenda and sought to draw a contrast with Republicans, charging in remarks Saturday that the outcome of the midterm elections should be viewed not as a referendum on the party in power but as a “fundamental choice between two very different visions for the country.”

The strategy is running up against immovable obstacles, hemmed in by Biden’s handling of the economy and country, said Republican pollster Robert Blizzard.

Despite their efforts to make the midterm elections “anything but a referendum” on Biden’s record, “Democratic candidates simply cannot escape,” Blizzard told the Washington Examiner.

Biden’s polling on the economy remains stubbornly low. According to the RealClearPolitics average, voters disapprove of the job Biden is doing on the economy by nearly 20 percentage points, with 58% opposing his leadership on the issue, compared to 39% who support it.

By comparison, the president’s job approval is underwater by nearly half — 12 points — with 43% approval, compared to 55% who disapprove.

Blizzard said Democratic candidates have struggled to expand their share of voters, a metric he and other analysts say is essential to gauge who is likely to come out ahead.

For months, Democrats have been “slamming their heads on a ceiling of support,” Blizzard said, stuck closely ahead of Biden’s approval rating in key states and districts.

And even candidates running ahead of Biden by double digits may face a thinning pool of persuadable voters.

Republican support among Latino voters and women has grown, according to the Wall Street Journal, notably among white suburban women. The group, which the Wall Street Journal’s pollsters said makes up 20% of the electorate, now favors Republicans by 15 percentage points, a 26-point swing since August.

Democrats know 'they will lose' if midterms are referendum on Biden, Psaki claims

Brady Knox

September 25, 03:59 PM September 25, 04:19 PM

Former White Dwelling press secretary Jen Psaki manufactured a confession unfavorable to the Democrats on Sunday, expressing they totally know "they will get rid of" if the 2022 midterm elections are a referendum on President Joe Biden.

Psaki made her prediction for the duration of an appearance on NBC's Meet up with the Press as she shared her viewpoints on the strengths and weaknesses of the Democrats likely into the November elections. In her watch, Democrats are vulnerable on the difficulties of criminal offense and the financial state, though they hold the large floor on "extremism."

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"Glimpse, I assume that Democrats, if the election is about who is the most intense, as we observed, you know, Kevin McCarthy touch on there with Marjorie Taylor Greene, I’ll say her name, sitting down over his remaining aspect, then they are likely to get. If it is a referendum on the president, they will eliminate, and they know that," Psaki stated. She was referring to Household Minority Chief Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA).

"So, certainly, the economic climate is hanging in excess of all the things, but you have [to] glimpse at point out-by-condition factors, and crime is a huge challenge in the Pennsylvania race," Psaki mentioned.

As press secretary, Psaki was a single of the closest officials to Biden. The incumbent is grappling with an overall economy beset by high inflation and a position approval ranking in the minimal 40s. A new poll from ABC News and the Washington Put up observed 56% of Democratic-registered voters and Democratic-leaning voters want another prospect to major the ticket in 2024. Nevertheless, Biden has witnessed successes in new months, which includes the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act.

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Psaki left this White Household in the spring and took a occupation at MSNBC as host for a demonstrate starting off future yr. She was succeeded in the briefing area by her principal deputy, Karine Jean-Pierre.