Nikki Haley ramps up criticism of ‘thin-skinned’ and ‘easily distracted’ Trump: 2024 hopeful says he’s ‘weak in the knees’ on Ukraine in most direct attack on her rival – as she rises in the polls

• GOP presidential hopeful Nikki Haley said Thursday that history will remember former President Donald Trump as ‘thin-skinned and easily distracted’ 
• She’s touring New Hampshire as she rises in the polls in the Granite State
• Haley, who served as Trump’s U.N. ambassador, was asked how the ex-president will be remembered 100 years from now 

By Nikki Schwab, Senior U.S. Political Reporter For Dailymail.Com In Portsmouth, New Hampshire

Published: 15:26 EDT, 21 September 2023 | Updated: 15:28 EDT, 21 September 2023

The US has begun to feel a bit of chill in the air and that means fall is upon us, when bright green leaves change into hues of orange, yellow and brown. 

If you’re wondering when your city is going to be covered in beautiful fall foliage, then this interactive map predicting peaking viewing dates should help out. 

The new season has already begun arriving in New England and in some parts of Washington, North Dakota and Montana. 

By September 25, all of the northern states and some parts of the west coast will be covered in fall colors.   

States in the Midwest such as Iowa, Kansas and Ohio will be completely enveloped in fall colors by October 9 but those in the south will have to wait until October 30 to see the first signs of the season.

Although by November 13, only southern states which include Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma, and Florida will have foliage, while the rest of the country will be past its peak season. 

The map, which can be viewed at SmokyMountains.com, was created by David Angotti. 

The predictive map uses a complex algorithm that computes over 37,000 pieces of information in order to accurately forecast when fall peak will occur at the county-level.

And although it is not 100 percent accurate, it is a tool used by avid leaf peepers to plan their annual trips to see the spectacular colors around the nation. 

Leaves can change their color from as early as mid-September all the way through early November. Usually, the second and third week of October are marked as the peak times but with it can vary depending on location and local weather conditions. 

When fall leaves drop to the ground, they gradually break down and create a nutrient-rich layer on the forest floor. This layer acts like a sponge, soaking up water and providing food for trees and plants. It helps them grow healthy in the spring.

So, while leaves falling in the fall protect trees during winter, they also help trees survive and thrive in the spring and summer. This natural cycle keeps trees healthy and sustainable year after year. 

The green in the map highlights trees that have not yet changed color and brown is past peak viewing, but the two shades of red indicate ‘near peak’ and ‘peak.’

Compared to last year, fall foliage is set to arrive sooner in 2023. Most of the country was experiencing the season by October 17 in 2022 but by October 9 this year, a majority of states will be covered in fall colors. 

Data has shown that climate change is the reason why fall has arrived early in the US and other parts of the world. 

The reason why climate change is bad for fall foliage has a bit to do with plant biology. 

When days get shorter and and temperatures drop, the chlorophyll in leaves breaks down which causes it to lose its green color. The green gives way to the yellows, reds and oranges that make for dramatic autumn displays. 

As the planet gets warmer, dry regions are expected to get drier and wet regions will receive more precipitation. This extreme weather caused trees stress in areas that receive bare minimum rainfall. 

This stress can cause leaves to miss the fall color turn completely and simply die and fall off instead of following its natural process. 

These trends impact the aesthetics of fall foliage, in addition to raising concerns about agriculture and water supplies and are expected to become more drastic in the future. 

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has said that Woody Harrelson is probably unaware of the backlash to his wearing a ‘Kennedy 2024’ cap because the actor lives off grid.

Harrelson posed for a photo with the Democratic presidential candidate’s actress wife Cheryl Hines earlier this week while wearing a blue ballcap endorsing Kennedy.

Reaction was strong on social media but Kennedy, campaigning in Iowa on Saturday, doubts that the actor has heard any of it. 

‘I’ve texted with him. You know, he’s very hard to get a hold of. He’s been a friend for many, many years. He’s very close to me and Cheryl,’ Kennedy said.

He added texting with the former Cheers star is usually a long shot anyway, given Harrelson’s lifestyle.

‘One thing is he doesn’t like cell phones. It’s conceivable that he does not know about all of the controversy,’ Kennedy told Fox News. 

‘He doesn’t watch TV. He doesn’t have his cell phone and he’s kind of off the grid.’

The 66-year-old donned a blue ‘Kennedy 2024’ cap in the snap with his Wilson co-star Hines, posted on Thursday.

‘Great seeing you Woody’, Hines posted without elaborating. But commentators were quick to suggest it was an endorsement.

Her post contained the tags ‘#friends #hats #rfkjr.’  

Harrelson joined New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers as the latest celebrity endorser of the anti-vaxxer vying to challenge President Joe Biden in 2024.

Polls have him in a distant second, and recent claims about COVID have sparked controversy. 

Nevertheless, some Democratic stalwarts worry his campaign could harm President Joe Biden’s reelection effort, particularly if the president is forced to stay away from New Hampshire after the Democratic National Committee gave South Carolina an early primary slot in a diversity push.

That infuriated New Hampshire officials who jealously guard their first-in-the-nation status, and could provided a venue for Kennedy to try to wound Biden.

Biden has a wide lead over Kennedy in Democratic primary polls. But he continues to have low national approval ratings hovering around 40 percent, while facing a Green Party challenge from Dr. Cornel West and a potential ‘No Labels’ third party run. 

That along with a primary challenge could sap his strength even if he is up against rival Donald Trump, who is facing multiple indictments. 

Harrelson has called himself ‘an anarchist,’ and has railed against the nation’s foreign wars, once comparing President Barack Obama to Richard Nixon.

He played former John McCain advisor Steve Schmidt in the movie adaptation of the political book ‘Game Change.’ That prompted a question by Politico if he disliked Democrats as much as he did Republicans.

‘It’s all synchronized swimming to me,’ said the former Natural Born Killers and Kingpin co-star.

‘They all kneel and kiss the ring. Who’s going to take on the oil industry or the medical industry?,’ he said in the 2013 interview. 

‘People compare Obama to Lyndon Johnson, but I think a better comparison is between Obama and Nixon. Because Nixon came into office saying he was going to pull out of Vietnam, and then he escalated the war,’ he said. 

‘I don’t believe in politics. I’m an anarchist, I guess you could say. I think people could be just fine looking after themselves,’ he said.

More than three-quarters of Republicans in Iowa want Congress to immediately start the impeachment of President Joe Biden over links to his son Hunter’s shady foreign business deals, an exclusive poll for DailyMail.com has found.

The survey conducted by J.L. Partners found that 77 percent of GOP supporters who are likely to attend January’s highly-anticipated Iowa state caucuses want the president investigated over his family finances.

The growing calls for Biden to be impeached follow damning testimony from Hunter’s business partner Devon Archer and the release of bank records showing the Biden family and associates got $20million from business interests in Russia, China and Kazakhstan.

The poll did show, however, that Republicans in Iowa are wary that impeachment could be a distraction leading into the 2024 presidential election, and dealing with issues such as the economy should be the priority.

DailyMail.com is publishing the poll results as Republican presidential candidates head to Iowa for the State Fair. 

Iowa is vital for their White House aspirations as the state will host the first major contest of the 2024 primary with their caucuses for Republican voters on January 15. 

The poll results leave House Speaker Kevin McCarthy with a dilemma: Does he side with Trump allies in an assault on the president or does he listen to the Republican leader in the Senate, Mitch McConnell who urges caution?

The rank and file in Iowa make clear where they stand.

In our poll of 600 Republicans, only 14 percent said they were opposed to impeachment proceedings.

Among Trump supporters, the proportion of those who want an immediate start rockets to 95 percent. That drops to 79 percent among supporters of Ron DeSantis and 74 percent with backers of Tim Scott.

‘Speaker McCarthy is already feeling the pressure from his members to impeach President Biden – now the voters who will crown the winner of the first caucus of 2024 want to see Biden impeached too,’ said James Johnson, co-founder of J.L. Partners.

‘The signs are that voters will reward those who hit Biden hard and push for his impeachment – though candidates should be careful not to suggest impeachment would be at the expense of all other issues.’

The poll was conducted from April 1 to 7 and the results carry a margin of error of +/- four percent.

They show that while Republicans in Iowa are itching for impeachment proceedings to start, they also say it should not come at the expense of other important issues.

Only 32 percent said it should be the priority for Republicans in the year ahead. Some 64 percent said they should focus on other issues first. 

The results will give a strong indication of who has enough support to contend for a spot on the ticket – and try to close the gap with frontrunner Trump..

Powerful GOP lawmakers, like those leading the Oversight and Judiciary Committees, claim that Hunter used his father’s influence to enrich the Biden family and that the president was, at least partially, involved in the scheme.

The issue exploded into public view on Wednesday.

President Biden was forced to confront the allegations against him and his son when he was confronted by Fox News’ Peter Doocy at a New Mexico windfarm. Biden insisted that he ‘never’ talked business with Hunter.

Instead of speaking about the issue, Biden pivoted to insult. ‘I knew you’d have a lousy question,’ he said.

‘Why is that a lousy question?’ Doocy asked, to which Biden clapped back with: ‘Because it’s not true.

All of this puts House Speaker McCarthy in a precarious position as he faces pressure from pro-Trump rank-and-file members to impeach while centrists are more cautious.

Sen. McConnell weighed in this week, telling the New York Times: ‘Impeachment ought to be rare. This is not good for the country.’

Some die-hard Trumpers want revenge for the two House impeachments against the former president, others want to hold Biden accountable for what they believe is involvement in his son’s business deals. Meanwhile, centrists and vulnerable Republicans aren’t sold on impeachment.

There is even in-fighting among MAGA sweetheart Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and Lauren Boebert (R-Col.) as they argue over their competing bills to launch an impeachment inquiry against the president.

The poll also gives an update on the overall state of the race among likely Republican caucus-goers in Iowa. 

It suggests that Trump’s third indictment last week is not denting supporters’ enthusiasm.

Trump is leading the pack by 26 points on 43 percent support. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis comes in second with 17 percent and Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) in third with 11 percent in Iowa. 

It means DeSantis has lost nine points since the poll was last conducted in April, and spells more bad news after he this week rebooted his campaign, yet again. 

Former President Donald Trump made a rare appearance at an event with other presidential candidate to tell an Iowa crowd that ‘there is only one candidate’ who can ‘win the election big.’ 

Trump was the final speaker at the Republican Party of Iowa’s Lincoln Dinner, which was attended by 13 Republican hopefuls, each only given 10 minutes to speak.

It was clear that the ex-president won the crowd – receiving standing ovations and more applause than any other candidate – with the only Republican to bring up Trump’s legal turmoil booed offstage. 

Whether he could win the next election after losing the last was another story, but he pointed to all sorts of polling data to make his case, claiming that his chief primary rival, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis ‘is losing to Biden in all cases.’ 

‘I wouldn’t take a chance on that one,’ he said, garnering laughs. 

DeSantis managed only a gentle contrast, offering himself as the most electable of the field. And former Vice President Mike Pence delivered his familiar warning of ‘the siren song of populism.’

Trump didn’t bother with any of the other hopefuls – only calling out the Florida governor.  

‘I’ve been an unwavering warrior for Iowa ethanol and I will remain your ethanol champion, very important to you economy. Ron DeSanctus has aggressively fought against ethanol, which I think would be devastating for Iowa,’ he said, starting out his assault. 

Trump talked up his relationship with Iowa in other ways too. 

Many in the GOP field are running an Iowa-or-bust strategy, so if Trump squashes them in the January 15 caucuses, he has a much easier path to the nomination. 

‘I’m here to deliver a very simple message Iowa has never had a better friend in the White House than President Donald J. Trump,’ he said at the top. 

He later gave himself credit for saving the Hawkeye State’s first-in-the-nation caucus position.  

‘I won Iowa twice by really a lot. And together we will crush crooked Joe Biden. The most crooked president in the history of our country by a lot. He’s also grossly incompetent, he doesn’t know what he’s doing, he’s destroying our country,’ Trump said. 

The ex-president only briefly brought up his mounting legal woes, with Special Counsel Jack Smith filing a surprise superseding indictment Thursday, alleging that Trump had ordered surveillance footage at Mar-a-Lago wiped. 

‘By the way, if I weren’t running, I would have nobody coming after me,’ he said. ‘If I was losing by a lot I would have nobody coming after me – they wouldn’t be coming after me.’ 

Only rank outsider Will Hurd, a former U.S. Representative, dared remind the 1,200 or so Iowa Republicans gathered at the Des Moines convention center of the brewing legal storm.

‘Donald Trump is not running for president to represent the people that voted for him in 2016 and 2020,’ he said. ‘Donald Trump is running to stay out of prison. And if we elect …’

He was cut off by boos and jeers. ‘I know. I know… The truth is hard,’ he said before wrapping up his speech a minute and a half early, hurrying offstage. 

Another longshot candidate, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, also called out Trump by name. 

He was also the only candidate – who went over the 10-minute time limit and had his microphone cut off.  

DeSantis shied away from hitting Trump directly, reheating his stump speech that majors on cutting down the federal government, focuses on his achievements in Florida and talks up the culture wars.

He did allude to Trump’s controversial handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, when touting how he kept Florida open. 

‘You don’t coddle bureaucrats like Dr. Fauci, you bring them in and you say, “You are fired,” DeSantis said. 

Earlier he pointed out to DailyMail.com, that Trump keeping Fauci on staff was one of the areas where he’s openly criticized the ex-president.  

‘He elevated Fauci, he left him in there, he didn’t fire him. I would have done just the opposite,’ DeSantis said. 

But the Florida governor ended with what might be his most important contrast with a president who failed to secure a second term in 2020: electability.

‘We either win this election and make good on all the promises that we’re making, or the Democrats are going to throw this country into a hole that’s going to take us a generation to come out of,’ he said.

‘I believe that decline is a choice. I believe success is attainable, and I know that freedom is worth fighting for. 

‘This is our chance in 2024 to send the Biden Harris administration to the dustbin of history where it belongs.’

Half the room rose from their seats and their plates of chicken and mashed potatoes for a rousing round of applause. 

Pence used the chance to take a swing at his old boss.

‘Joe Biden has been a disaster for America. And I understand the temptation to cling to what is familiar over leadership fitted to the times,’ he said in a familiar refrain from his stump speech.

‘But I believe we must resist the politics of personality, and the siren song of populism unmoored to conservative values, because different times calls for different leadership to defeat Joe Biden.’

Some of the candidates had fun with the latest Biden family drama, with the president and first lady acknowledging their seventh grandchild for the first time.

They did so in a statement to People magazine, as the Bidens head to their Rehoboth Beach home for summer vacation. 

‘Our son Hunter and Navy’s mother, Lunden, are working together to foster a relationship that is in the best interests of their daughter, preserving her privacy as much as possible going forward,’ it said. 

‘This is not a political issue, it’s a family matter,’ Biden’s statement continues. ‘Jill and I only want what is best for all of our grandchildren, including Navy.’

Former U.N. Amb. Nikki Haley alluded to the news, as she talked about how easy it would be to pass one of the mental competency tests she’s pitched for office holders older than 75.  

‘There aren’t a tough test,’ she said. ‘What town were you born in? How many grandchildren do you have?’ she added to laughs. 

Hutchinson, who appeared directly after her onstage, used a similar line: ‘I know how many grandchildren I have – seven.’ 

A dire search is underway for unaccounted residents after a massive section of a six-story apartment building collapsed in Iowa Sunday. 

Rescue crews were on scene at the building on Main Street in Davenport Sunday night into Monday frantically digging through the rubble. 

A portion of the building came crashing down around 5pm as panicked residents desperately tried to flee for their lives. 

Seven people were rescued from the building, and 12 were helped from the collapse, officials said. The search is now on for the missing, as an air ambulance arrives on the scene.

Authorities have not said whether anyone was killed in the collapse. 

‘We both grab out cats, she grabbed one, I grabbed one, got to the door,’ Lexus Berry said about trying to get to safety with his wife Quanisha White-Berry. 

‘I watched her, and everything just fell down and everything fell on top of me, and I barely made it out the door.’ 

‘I got out, but there was nothing left but where I was standing at. Everything else was gone.’

Building residents had complained for years about needed repairs. City leaders said the building had permits to make the fixes when the collapse happened.  

As the building fell to the ground Sunday evening, Tadd Machavec said he heard screaming.

‘There was a lot of screams, a lot of cries, a lot of people saying “help” when the building came down,’ he told the Associated Press. ‘But that did not last — two or three minutes and then the whole area was silent.

‘I’m hoping and praying the screams that I heard were not people inside of it.’ 

It remains unclear what caused the collapse of the building on Main Street, which was home to about 80 apartments. But fire crews on the scene found a ‘large natural gas leak’ and water leaking from all the floors. 

Robert Robinson lived on the complex’s second floor and just returned from a smoke break outside when part of the building fell. 

‘When we started to go back in the lights went out,’ Robinson. ‘All of a sudden everybody started running out saying the building collapsed. I´m glad we came down when we did.’ 

The extent of the injuries among people who were inside the building when it collapsed is unknown, and those that survived are now scrambling to find overnight accommodations.

First responders say the search for survivors will be challenging, as there have been secondary collapses.

‘Our big thing is the stability of the building. We’re not actually sure how stable the building is,’ Fire Chief Michael Carlsten said. ‘Even while we were on the scene, we did have multiple secondary drops of debris coming from that structure.

‘We want to make sure that all of our first responders are able to process through in a safe manner,’ he continued. ‘But we still want to get through there as quickly as possible.’ 

Mayor Mike Matson also promised to focus on rescue efforts, though he reasserted that the apartment complex is still an active scene.

‘We will continue to work, continue to evaluate, with the whole purpose of trying to find people and trying to get them out,’ he said. 

Several current and former tenants told the Quad City Times that the building had issues in the past.

County assessors’ records show that nearly 20 permits were filed in 2022 for the building — mostly for plumbing or electrical issues. 

‘Four months ago, I got a call from the city that told me I had 48 hours to get out because the building was being condemned because bricks were just falling off,’ Todd Wilson told the outlet.

‘What they did was they switched ownership and they gave them time to fix it, but they didn’t do it properly.’

Jennifer Smith also said he never had heat or air conditioning. 

‘It sounds bad, but we have been calling the city and giving complaints since December. Our bathroom caved in December,’ she said. ‘We call and report it  and it’s always, “We’ll fix it, we’ll be there” and they don’t.’

She added that 14 units were condemned in January ‘and they were in the back where it caved.’

Many of those residents, Smith said, cannot afford to live anywhere else. 

Davenport’s director of development and neighborhood services Rich Oswald said the building’s owners had permits to make reports to the exterior bricks before the collapse, according to KWQC. 

There were reports of bricks falling from the building earlier in the week that was part of the work, he said. 

The building was first opened in 1906, and was the home to the Davenport Hotel, the finest accommodations at the time. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, meaning its façade must be maintained.

The building’s owner, Andrew Wold, has yet to comment on the collapse. 

Police and rescue crews remained on scene Sunday night as they asked people to avoid the downtown area. 

The American Red Cross is now assisting tenants with finding accommodations, and Davenport Mayor Matson said he is in contact with Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds who has ‘offered all assistance.’

Americans have witnessed an unusually bright red sun over the past week that has made for gorgeous photos – but the cause of the change is not as pleasing.

The starling color was due to 84 wildfires burning through parts of Canada, specifically in Alberta, and will persist for at least a few more days.

Smoke from the relentless fires traveled up to  2,000 miles, creating a hazy filter over the sun, making it appear fire engine red.

Residents in New York, New Jersey, Chicago, Illinois and Iowa are just some of those who have witnessed the blood-red sun. 

Meteorologists said smoke particles are being carried across the US by a jet stream blowing into the northeastern regions, causing poor air quality.

The blazing red color is due to smoke filtering out shorter wavelengths of light, allowing just red and orange wavelengths to shine. And the sun is also dimmer because of the thick smoke blowing in from Canada.

The wildfires have caused nearly a million acres to burn in Western Canada, mainly in Northwest Alberta Province.  And more than 30,000 people have already evacuated the area to avoid the fires. 

The blazes started because Canada experienced an unusually dry spring coupled with a heatwave.

The National Weather Service (NWS) in Montana deemed the air quality ‘very unhealthy’ and advises people to stay indoors if possible.

And the same type of warning has been issued for eastern Colorado. 

‘If smoke is thick or becomes thick in your neighborhood, you may want to remain indoors,’ the advisory warned. ‘This is especially true for those with heart disease, respiratory illnesses, the very young, and the elderly.’ 

Utah’s Department of Environmental Quality also warned air quality would remain ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’ through Monday. 

However, the NWS in New York said smoke drifts at more than 20,000 feet and will not cause any health issues to anyone with respiratory ailments in the northeastern US.

While Canadians battle the blazes, Americans have witnessed red sunrises and sunsets for over a week.

‘Check out the very red sun rising over New York City. This is due to all of the wildfire smoke traveling above us from wildfires in Canada,’ the  NWS posted to their Twitter account.

This prompted others to share stunning images of the sunrise and sunsets that look like they were taken with a camera filter. 

A satellite image shared by NWS shows smoke flowing across the northern US and blanketing the eastern states with pollutants.

Alberta authorities hope cooler temperatures and showers forecast for the coming week will help firefighters battling blazes in the oil-rich Canadian province, although storms could complicate efforts. 

This year, Alberta Wildfire responded to 496 wildfires burning more than two million acres, compared with just 1,134 in 2022. 

Christie Tucker, information unit manager at Alberta Wildfire, said in a statement: ‘This year’s total was nearly 2,000 times last year.’

The ominous red sun, however, has been visible for the past week and is set to persist for a few more days.

This year’s record-high temperatures and lack of rain have led to widespread fires in Canada.

Alberta has been hit the hardest, with some 275 houses, businesses and other properties damaged and over 10,000 people forced out of their homes as of Friday. 

Josee St-Onge, Alberta Wildfire information officer, said in an interview with CBC Saturday morning that fire crews are continuing their work.

‘Good progress on many of these wildfires, building containment lines and fire guards around communities, but we’re expecting another challenging day today,’ she said

‘It’s definitely going to be a long haul. Fires that are this size burn very intensely.’

President Joe Biden appeared to completely zone out after he was asked by a reporter what his wife Dr. Jill Biden thought of his intention to run for the presidency once again in 2024.

‘I have not made that formal decision but it’s my intention… my intention to run again. And we have time to make that decision’, the president began.  

‘Dr. Biden is for it?’ the MSNBC interviewer asks – only to be met with silence.  

‘Mr. President?’ the reporter prods, to virtually no reaction from Biden.  

‘Dr. Biden thinks that uh, my wife thinks that uh, that I uh, that, that we’re, that we’re doing something very important,’ Biden finally states, while managing to avoid directly answering the question. 

Biden’s response led to a barrage of criticism on social media.

‘One must feel sorry for him. But no way should he be working any job much less POTUS,’ wrote one user.

‘I feel like I am watching my Dad talk about my Mom who passed away 6 years ago. This is not funny. This is real,’ added another. 

‘Imagine how low his approval would be if the media didn’t protect him with note cards, and pre selected questions. It’s madness,’ suggested another Twitter follower.

On Friday night, Missouri federal appeals court blocked the Biden administration’s plan to forgive hundreds of billions of dollars of federal student loan debt, saying they needed more time to rule on an emergency request by Republican-led states to block the policy.

The Biden administration had previously said in court filings it could begin canceling student loans as early as this Sunday, but their plan was challenged by six states. 

The plan, announced in August, was designed for people who had taken out loans to pay for college: Friday’s decision delays distribution of up to $20,000 in debt relief for more than 40 million eligible borrowers.

About 22 million people have already applied for debt relief since the application opened on October 14. 

The states which challenged included Nebraska, Missouri, Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas and South Carolina.

The appeals court gave the administration until Monday to respond to that request, and the states will have until Tuesday to reply to that response. 

Before the Missouri court’s decision was announced, Biden spoke about the scheme at Delaware State University, a historically black university where the majority of students receive federal Pell Grants.

The president highlighted the ease of the application, which doesn’t require users to upload any forms or to create an account.

‘Folks, it takes less than 5 minutes,’ Biden said. 

He said the ‘vast majority’ of applicants are able to submit for relief from their phones.

It’s unclear what the appeals court decision means for the 22 million borrowers who already applied for the relief. 

The Biden administration had promised not to clear any debt before October 23 as it battled the legal challenges, but the soonest it was expected to begin erasing debt was mid-November.

The president’s performance on his MSNBC interview will likely do little to lift his approval rating which remains deep underwater in Iowa, where only 20 percent of people believe the country is headed in the right direction, according to a new poll.

With only 18 days until Democrats have to defend control of the House and the Senate, it spells more bad news for Biden in a state with several crucial races.

The Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll found that 61 percent of Iowa adults said they disapproved of Biden’s presidency, while 35 percent approve. 

The numbers are miserable but actually show a small upturn since July when only 27 percent approved. 

At the same time 73 percent of adults polled said they believed the nation is on the wrong track, compared with 20 percent who say the nation is going in the right direction. 

It comes as Democrats and Republicans launch their final push before next months midterm elections, and with signs that key races up and down the country are tightening.

Democrats have been brought back down to earth after a number of legislative victories and positive economic numbers saw their poll ratings improve before giving way to fresh gas price rises, and warnings of a winter COVID surge.

Biden himself has generally steered away from campaign events with candidates, instead choosing to make official speeches – on the economy or on drug prices – in states with important races.

In Iowa, Republicans are hoping to pick up the seat of Democratic Rep. Cindy Axne.

But Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley is under pressure to hold his seat from the challenge of Mike Franken, who has closed to within three points, according to recent polls. 

Poll respondents identified a range of key issues, with the economy coming top of the list.

Joseph Dehner, a 42-year-old political independent living in West Des Moines, said he supply chain shortages, inflation and staff shortages were making it difficult to keep his business going.

‘Everything’s so expensive not only for the business and trying to get supplies and stuff because of supply chain problems, but having enough money at the end of the day for not only my family, but my employees’ families,’ he told the pollsters, according to the Des Moines Register.

For now, Democrats remain slight favorites to hold on to the Senate, according to the latest forecast by the political website FiveThirtyEight. However, it says their advantage has weakened since September.

At the same time, the site’s model says Republicans are firm favorites to take back the House, with Iowa’s third Congressional district one of the key contests.

Earlier this week another poll found that just one-third of American voters would send President Joe Biden back to the White House if the 2024 election were held today.

A majority of Americans also believe their lives are worse off than they were two years ago, the poll found. 

The new survey by Fox News was taken from October 9 through 12, less than a month until Election Day 2022 when voters will decide which party controls Congress for the latter half of Biden’s term.

While a 54-percent majority said they want someone other than Biden to run for president, Democrats do have a slight edge over Republicans on the generic Congressional ballot.

Forty-four percent of registered voters said they preferred the left to the right for their Congressional votes while 41 percent said the opposite. 

However, Republicans have a one-point edge among people who ‘feel certain to vote,’ according to the survey.

Biden’s re-electability still remains fairly high among Democrats, with 71 percent backing him in a hypothetical current-day re-election bid.