Poll: Majority ranks Biden as likable and smart, but less than half view him as a strong leader

A recent Gallup poll of adults living in the U.S. found that while a majority of people consider President Joe Biden to be "likable" and "intelligent," less than half would characterize the commander-in-chief as "a strong and decisive leader" or as someone who is able to "manage government effectively."

The survey, which was conducted from Jan. 3-16, found that while 60% view Biden as "likable" and 59% think he's "intelligent," just 37% think that he qualifies as "a strong and decisive leader," while only 38% believe that he "can manage the government effectively."

Biden's numbers have declined significantly compared to a poll conducted in Sept. 2020 which found that 66% thought he was "likable," 46% viewed him as "a strong and decisive leader," and 52% thought he could manage the government well.

Independents appear to have a less favorable view of Biden now than in the 2020 poll.

Just 30% of independents rate Biden as "a strong and decisive leader" in the recent poll, down from 45% in the 2020 survey, and only 32% of independents in the January 2022 poll think that Biden "can manage the government effectively," a steep decline from 53% in the Sept. 2020 poll.

And while 54% of independents in the 2020 poll thought that the characteristics of being "honest and trustworthy" fit Biden, that number has dropped down to 38% in the more recent poll.

Biden, who has been underwater in various job approval polls for some time, recently reached the one-year milestone of his administration.

The president's first year in office was marked by issues including the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, a chaotic and widely criticized withdrawal from Afghanistan, massive numbers of migrants inundating the nation's southern border, supply chain issues, and rising inflation.