One-quarter in new poll say Biden was ‘good’ or ‘great’ president
Only one-quarter of Americans said President Biden was a “good” or “great” president, getting lower approval numbers than President-elect Trump at the end of his first and former President Obama at the end of his second term, according to a new survey released on Friday.
The new The Associated Press (AP)-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that just 25 percent of U.S. adults thought of Biden as a “good” or “great” president. During the same period four years ago, 36 percent of respondents said the same about Trump while 52 percent characterized Obama in the same light eight years ago.
Around 47 percent said Biden was a “poor” or “terrible” president, a similar sentiment displayed four years ago when 49 percent said the same thing about Trump as his first run in the Oval Office was coming to an end, according to the survey.
Nearly one-in-three respondents, 28 percent, said Biden was an “average” commander-in-chief, a higher number than Trump’s 15 percent four years ago.
Only one-in-10 in his party described Biden as a “great” president whereas around four-in-10 said he was a “good” U.S. president, according to the poll. Around 34 percent of Independents said he was an “average” president while only 10 percent thought he was “good” or great” during his time in the White House.
Biden’s approval rating was at 39 percent, just one point higher than at the start of 2024.
A Gallup poll from earlier this week found that more Americans will have a negative view of Biden’s time in the Oval Office than positive. Around 54 percent of Americans said he would be seen as either a “poor” or “below average” president.
The survey was conducted from Dec. 5-9, 2024 among 1,251 adults. The margin of error was 3.7 percentage points.
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Preliminary hearing scheduled in Todd McCain, Gary lawsuit
A preliminary hearing in a lawsuit between the brother of Trent McCain, former deputy mayor of Gary, and the city has been scheduled for later this month at the U.S. District Court in Hammond.
Both parties are expected in court at noon on Jan. 27, according to court documents.
In September, local attorney Russell Brown filed a complaint on behalf of Todd McCain, who is suing the Gary Sanitary District and Mayor Eddie Melton, alleging political retaliation when he was fired from his job with the city’s sanitary district. Melton responded to McCain’s claims on Nov. 20, and GSD responded on Dec. 9.
McCain’s complaint says the termination was a violation of his First Amendment rights, which protect his freedom of political expression and association. The plaintiff campaigned for former Mayor Jerome Prince, who Melton defeated in the May 2023 Democratic primary.
In his answer to the complaint, Melton said he was “without knowledge or information sufficient to form a belief” on McCain’s political activities. The mayor’s answer said the same about an anti-Melton commercial McCain posted on Facebook before deleting it when Melton won the primary.
McCain’s lawsuit claims Melton ordered GSD to terminate him and undertook actions immediately upon taking office, both of which the mayor denied.
He also denied terminating McCain as political retribution and violating his First Amendment rights.
In GSD’s response, the organization said they were “without knowledge or information sufficient to form a belief” on McCain’s two annual performance evaluations — one done in 2022 by then-Executive Director Dan Vicari and one in 2023 by former Executive Director Rhonda Anderson. McCain claims the performance evaluations were stellar.
The GSD also denies allegations that Melton ordered McCain to be terminated.
McCain worked for the GSD from Dec. 15, 2021, to Jan. 9, 2024, according to online court records. Vicari hired McCain as community engagement and compliance director.
Melton took office on Jan. 1, 2024.
The mayor acts as municipal executive director and appoints the sanitary district’s executive director and five members of its Board of Commissioners, according to court documents.
In the lawsuit, McCain is asking for relief for lost wages, employment benefits and other compensation he lost. Other requests include compensatory and punitive damages, front pay, attorney and witness fees, expenses and other relief the court deems necessary.
McCain has asked for a jury trial, according to court documents.
In an October statement, Gary Corporation Counsel Carla Morgan said the city is prepared to “vigorously defend against any legal challenges.”
“This administration is committed to fulfilling all our legal and ethical responsibilities in the execution of our duties,” Morgan’s statement said.
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He was the sole resident of Budelli, an undeveloped sliver of paradise off the northern coast of Sardinia. He embraced the solitude, until he was evicted.