Quick Hit

A recent poll reveals that a majority of Americans believe President Joe Biden profited from his son Hunter's business dealings. This comes as President Biden's approval ratings continue to fall.

Key Details

• A CNN poll shows that 61% of Americans believe President Biden had some involvement in his son's business dealings in China and Ukraine.
• 42% of respondents believe that the involvement was illegal, while 18% thought it was unethical but not illegal.
• The poll also indicates a rising disapproval of President Biden's performance, with 61% disapproving of his handling of his current job, up from 41% in March 2021.

Diving Deeper

The poll, conducted by SSRS in August 2023 among a random sample of 1,503 adults, paints a concerning picture for the Biden administration. The 53-year-old Hunter Biden has been under investigation for a variety of matters, including his lobbying activities, possible money laundering, and failing to pay at least $1.4 million in federal taxes. In 2013, Hunter Biden took a founding board seat at BHR Partners, a Chinese private equity firm, shortly after his father's official trip to China. A year later, he joined the board of Burisma Holdings, a Ukrainian energy company where he was paid $1.2 million per year—a move that stoked controversy given that his father oversaw U.S.–Ukraine relations under President Obama.

Opinions about the president's involvement in his son's business dealings are sharply divided across party lines, with 28% of Democrats suspecting involvement compared to 90% of Republicans. A majority of the public (55%) believes President Biden has acted "inappropriately" regarding the investigation into Hunter Biden. Furthermore, 53% believe President Joe Biden made money off his son's lucrative overseas ventures, while 31% did not think so, and 16% were unsure.

The poll was conducted before special counsel David Weiss said in a Wednesday court filing that he is preparing to indict Hunter Biden for lying on a gun application form about his substance abuse. This development could potentially further impact public opinion and President Biden's approval ratings.

Alongside the concerns about the president's involvement in his son's business dealings, the poll also showed a significant increase in disapproval of President Biden's handling of his current job, rising to 61% compared to 41% in March 2021. Three-quarters (74%) of voters were of the opinion President Biden lacks "the stamina and sharpness to serve effectively as president," up from 51% in late 2019. Only 28% said he inspires confidence, with 72% disagreeing.

In response to an open-ended question about people's biggest concern about President Biden as a candidate for re-election, virtually no one mentioned the situation regarding his son, with the biggest issue for half of the public (49%) being his age. Seventy percent said they felt the country is doing "pretty/very badly" under his administration, including more than half of Democrats (51%), 91% of Republicans, 70% of independents, and 63% of moderates.