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White House chief of staff Ron Klain desperately tried on Sunday to positively spin a new poll that was described as a "damning indictment" President Joe Biden's presidency.
But his attempt completely fell flat.
The CBS News/YouGov poll shows that Biden's approval is under water 12 points; just 44% of respondents said they approve of his job as president, while 56% of respondents said they disapprove.
But it gets worse: Nearly three-fourths of respondents (74%) said things in America are going badly, 69% said the economy is bad, and an overwhelming majority of respondents expressed pessimism over the direction of the economy over the next several months. A majority of respondents (65%) also said Biden is "slow to react" to important issues.
The White House chief of staff turned the spin cycle on high and claimed the poll is actually good for Biden.
"I hate to spoil the narrative but this poll shows @potus approval rating moving up, and solid public confidence on the two biggest problems he inherited: COVID and jobs," Klain said.
I hate to spoil the narrative but this poll shows @potus approval rating moving up, and solid public confidence on the two biggest problems he inherited: COVID and jobs. https://t.co/OPrkWPZxYO
— Ronald Klain (@WHCOS) May 22, 2022
How exactly Klain defines "solid public confidence" is unclear. However, the poll makes clear that only a slight majority of respondents (53% to 47%) gave Biden positive marks on his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Meanwhile, the poll found that only a narrow majority (52% to 48%) are optimistic about the trajectory of their local job market over the next several months. This difference, however, falls within the poll's +/- 2.5% margin of error.
People were not buying what Klain was trying to sell.