As President Biden’s popularity among American voters continues to decline, so does his clout among fellow Democrats. An increasing number of Biden allies have voiced their disappointment in his handling of issues like the border crisis, Afghanistan and the Democratic-controlled Congress, where two major pieces of legislation furthering his domestic agenda remain stalled due to party infighting.
The latest crack in the party foundation became evident Sunday after Virginia’s Democratic gubernatorial nominee Terry McAuliffe, who campaigned with Biden in northern Virginia less than three months ago, said he was “frustrated” with the president and Democrats in Congress.
“We have got frustration with Washington,” McAuliffe said in a CNN interview. “Why haven’t we passed this infrastructure bill? It passed the U.S. Senate with 69 votes two months ago. I have been very straight on television. We’re tired of the chitty chat up in Washington. Get in a room and get this figured out. They’re paid to get up in Washington, get this done.”
The comments came days after McAuliffe said Biden is currently “unpopular” in Virginia. Sarah Longwell, a moderate Republican strategist who became a vocal supporter of Biden in 2020, told Politico there is a “malaise” among Democratic voters who don’t feel their lives have improved under Biden, and that very few are blaming Republicans for the mess in Washington, where Democratic Party infighting has stalled a $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill and $3.5 trillion budget reconciliation package.