ABC News Today

This week’s White House Report finds that President Joe Biden plans to tour key battleground states to boost key Democratic Senate candidates. But it will be dogged by a struggling economy, the Fed’s plan to continue raising rates at a radical pace and troubling reports on crime and immigration.

Democratic pollster John Zogby, who graded the week a B-, said that while Biden’s approval rating appears to be holding steady, Republican advances in key Senate races that force the president in battleground areas show the week “belonged to the GOP.”

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Conservative analyst Jed Babbin, who graded the week D-, said domestic issues affecting the economy are driving voters away from Biden and his team. And, he added, there is growing concern about the mental state of the president and the frail vice president.

John Zogby
Grade B-

If we look at just Biden’s numbers, this was a good week. His approval numbers are holding steady at an average of 44%, and there was some good economic news. Gross domestic product grew last quarter at 2.6%, better than expected and nowhere near the expected recession. New jobless claims barely topped 200,000 for the week.

But the week belonged to the GOP, as its Senate candidates picked up support in New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona and Nevada.

I remember that at this point in 2012, Mitt Romney was neck and neck with former President Barack Obama, and in 2016, Hillary Clinton had significant (even double-digit) leads in many of these battleground states. Things can and have happened in the last week of an election. But despite a good week of numbers for Biden, the GOP owned it. But it would be totally irresponsible for me (or anyone else, for that matter) to make any calls yet.

Jed Babbin
Grade D-

Biden’s ever-increasing detachment from reality, coupled with Vice President Kamala Harris’ rhapsody about school buses, pretty much completed another failed week. This week was another example of how little reality pervades the White House and how weak the president is.

Where to start? How about Biden’s statement that he was only able to pass his student loan purchase plan by a few votes, even though he has never faced congressional action? Then there was Biden’s statement that the price of gas was $5 a gallon when he came into office, twice what it actually was.

In closing, Biden said his veep was “a great president.” The man doesn’t even know what position he occupies. And then, there was the tree planting ceremony at the White House. Biden turned away when he finished and said, “Where do we go from here?” Fortunately, a staff member guided the confused old man to his next event.

Crime rates have skyrocketed in most major cities and across the country. Inflation is steady around 8%, mortgage interest rates are at 7% (the highest in about 20 years), and as I wrote last week, many people are skimping on Thanksgiving dinner because it’s too expensive

Biden’s crew continues to claim that our border is secure. The truth is that at least 2.2 million illegal immigrants entered the country in fiscal year 2022. This does not include the more than 600,000 “fugitives” who are the drug dealers, other criminals and terrorists that Biden’s open border let enter the country. About 200 people believed to be terrorists were captured in September alone.

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And then there’s Harris, wistfully talking about school buses. She said, “Who doesn’t like a yellow school bus, right?” The millions of children who have to ride them for hours on school days (and their parents) don’t.

Reportedly, we only have about 25 days of diesel left in the country mainly due to refinery incapacity. If shortages occur, the US economy will slow down dramatically. If the supply runs out, the economy will grind to a halt.

And let’s not forget that heating oil rationing has already begun in New York and much of New England. It’s going to be a long, cold winter, thanks to Biden. GDP rose about 2% in the third quarter, temporarily pulling us out of the Biden recession. That’s the only reason this week’s grade isn’t an F.

John Zogby is the founder of Zogby Survey and a senior partner at John Zogby Strategies. His weekly podcast with his son and managing partner Jeremy Zogby can be heard here. Follow him on Twitter @ZogbyStrategies

Jed Babbin it is a Washington Examiner contributor and former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense in the administration of former President George HW Bush. Follow him on Twitter @jedbabbin