Biden approval rating at 39% amid economic fears; 47% 'strongly disapprove': USA TODAY/Suffolk poll

President Joe Biden said Thursday Americans were "really, really down." He's right about that.

A new USA TODAY/Suffolk Poll shows the country in a funk and one that sets a problematic political landscape for Democrats in the November elections that are approaching fast.

• Only 39% of Americans approve of the job Biden is doing as president. A stunning 47% "strongly" disapprove; just 16% "strongly" approve. Academic studies have shown that presidential approval is one of the most reliable predictors of what happens in midterm elections, and a rating this low would traditionally signal significant losses for the president's party.
• More than 7 in 10, 71%, say the United States is "on the wrong track;" 16% say it's headed in the right direction. Even most Democrats say the country is on the wrong track, 46%-34%. Three of 4 independents and nearly every Republican agree.
• Americans split 40%-40% when asked whether they would vote for a Republican or a Democrat for Congress if the election was held today. Independent analysts and strategists in both parties say Republicans are likely to pick up the handful of seats they need to take control of the House. Democrats now hold 220 House seats; 218 are needed for control.

Prep for the polls: See who is running for president and compare where they stand on key issues in our Voter Guide