Biden Approval Rating Is Below 50%, Only 45% Find Kamala Harris 'Favorable'

President Joe Biden’s approval rating is below 50% on national polls roughly two weeks into his presidency, according to a new national survey released Wednesday.

Nearly half of the poll's 1,075 adult respondents, or 49%, said they approve of the job Biden's is doing so far, while 36% said they disapprove of how he is doing in the Oval Office. Another 16% said they didn’t have an opinion or refused to answer, according to the Quinnipiac University poll conducted Jan. 28 to Feb. 1.

Among Democrats, 90% said they are optimistic about Biden’s presidency. As for independents, 62% said they are confident about Biden's presidency. When it comes to Republicans, 65% said they're pessimistic.

A majority, or 56%, of the Quinnipiac University poll respondents believe Biden is taking steps toward uniting the country.

"The Biden numbers are solid but not spectacular as the country tries to coalesce around a new administration that faces the dual challenge of daunting economic struggles and comforting a COVID-weary public,” Quinnipiac University Polling Analyst Tim Malloy said.

“Amid a palpable uncertainty about the months and even years ahead, there is a sense that President Biden is the man for the moment. And that moment can't come too soon," Malloy added.

The survey also polled Americans on what they think about Vice President Kamala Harris, with 45% saying her job has been favorable, 35% saying they disapprove of her work, and 18% saying it's too early in her term to determine.

Biden’s approval rating currently stands at 54% in an average of all national polls conducted since he was sworn in Jan. 20. Traditionally, new American presidents begin their terms with high approval ratings.

President Biden’s approval rating is roughly in line with what former Presidents Bill Clinton and Ronald Reagan had at the start of their term. Biden surpassed the polling position of former President Donald Trump, who registered in the mid-40s in January 2017 and never hit 50% at any point in his term.

However, Biden lags behind former President Barack Obama, who had more than a 60% approval rating in January 2009.