President Biden has problems.
Which is probably what drove him to schedule a big televised speech Thursday night upon his return from Israel.
Aside from the annual State of the Union, this is only the fourth time Biden has given a prime-time speech to the nation.
In 2021, he spoke on the one-year anniversary of the World Health Organization declaring the COVID pandemic.
In 2022, he gave a speech in Philadelphia on how the midterm elections were a “battle for the soul” of the country and its democracy against Republicans.
In June, he spoke to celebrate a deal with Congress to raise the debt ceiling.
None was a speech on pressing historic events or matters of national security — they were aimed at Biden’s political needs.
He was abusing the president’s privilege to demand a time slot on national television.
Biden has never given such a speech laying out the case for supporting Ukraine, even as the price tag for the war rises and becomes increasingly controversial.
He only glanced over Ukraine in the latest State of the Union.
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For now, the nation is much more united behind Israel, and its cause is more popular — so why is Biden giving a national speech?
Because its cause is more popular than Biden is.
A recent CNBC poll showed disapproval of Biden’s presidency hitting a record-high 58% and his approval rating at 37%.
The president struggles to crack two-thirds approval within his own party for his handling of foreign policy.
That’s not surprising, given how the world situation has deteriorated with him in office: the Taliban controlling Afghanistan, Russia attacking Ukraine, Hamas massacring civilians in Israel.
His tour to promote “Bidenomics” just reminded people who struggle to pay the bills who they should blame.
Recent polls from CNN, Quinnipiac and Harris all show Biden’s approval below 40%, his disapproval at 56% or higher or both.
The latest RealClearPolitics polling average shows a grim record of disapproval of Biden’s handling of one issue after another: 60% on the economy, 64% on inflation, 64% on immigration, 57% on foreign policy, 57% on crime and 53% on Ukraine.
When you’re losing at home, losing at the border and losing abroad, that doesn’t leave many places left.
Polls now show that Republicans are more trusted than Democrats on all but a few issues, with the GOP holding its biggest advantage on the economy in more than 30 years.
Israel’s cause is just, and Congress is ready to support it, even with disorganized Republicans having to rely on an interim speaker of the House because they can’t agree on their own leader.
So what is Biden planning to do?
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Wrap himself in the Israeli cause, then insist Republicans vote on a package that combines aid to Israel with aid to Ukraine, so that critics of Ukraine aid can be painted as siding with the terrorists against Israel.
That’s dirty pool.
Congress can, and should, pass more aid for Ukraine, but the country deserves a debate on the issue separate from the needs of Israel.
Biden got elected because so many Americans wanted Donald Trump gone.
Democrats avoided a red wave in 2022, even as Biden’s popularity plunged, by running against Trump and his stolen-election-obsessed allies.
Again and again, even as the voters have demonstrated their mistrust of Joe Biden, he has survived just by provoking his enemies.
It’s the only move he’s got.
This story originally appeared on NYPost
