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As Biden trails Trump in several battleground states, many Democrat lawmakers are worried about how the president’s declining popularity will affect their own races in November.

From The Hill. Vulnerable Senate Democrats are distancing themselves from President Biden’s ailing brand after polls show him trailing former President Trump in several battleground states. …

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They’re staying competitive in the polls despite Biden’s low approval ratings and lagging position relative to Trump, but they are worried the president’s political brand will start weighing them down as Election Day nears.

“If you go out there and do a focus group, the focus groups all say, ‘He’s 200 years old. You got to be kidding me.’ And the worst part about it is for unaffiliated voters or people that haven’t made up their mind, they look at this and say: ‘You have to be kidding us. These are our choices?’ And they indict us for not taking it seriously,” said a Democratic senator who requested anonymity. …

Polls have shown that 40 percent of registered voters in battleground states were not too satisfied or not at all satisfied with the candidates in the presidential election.

The senator said Democratic colleagues “know this is a problem” but also realize it’s too late to do anything about it and that “this is the ticket we have to get behind and we have to win with this ticket.” …

A second Democratic senator, when asked about Biden’s poll numbers, said the president’s age is a persistent concern among voters. …

“People keep saying, ‘Why didn’t he take a pass, he’s just so tired?’” the senator said of constituents who are baffled over Biden’s decision to run for a second term. “That is such a prevalent feeling.” …

The lawmaker also cited the high costs of basic goods and services as another political headwind facing Biden. …

A New York Times/Siena College poll of 4,097 registered voters across six battleground states found Biden trailing Trump in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada and Pennsylvania and tied with him in Wisconsin.

The same poll, however, showed Democratic Senate candidates leading their likely Republican opponents in four states — Arizona, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

Rosen emphasizes her independence

Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), who is narrowly leading Republican opponent Sam Brown, 40 percent to 38 percent, has sought to separate herself from Biden, who is losing to Trump by double digits in the Silver State.

She broke with Biden over his decision to withhold bombs from Israel to pressure Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to call off an invasion of Rafah.

Rosen called for the White House to provide Israel with “the unconditional security assistance it needs to defend itself.” …

Asked about Biden’s 33 percent approval rating and other poor poll numbers in Nevada, Rosen emphasized her independence and record of working with Republicans. …

Casey splits on some issues

Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.), who is running for reelection in Pennsylvania, where Biden is polling behind Trump 36 percent to 40 percent in the New York Times/Siena College survey, has split with Biden on liquified natural gas (LNG) exports and holding up arms to Israel.

“There are numerous occasions where I don’t agree with administration policy. LNG is the most recent example as well as the decision [Biden] made about arms transfer to Israel,” he said. …

Casey’s work to distance himself from Biden on key issues appears to be paying off. Polls show him currently leading hedge fund CEO and Republican candidate David McCormick 46 percent to 41 percent. …

Montana and Ohio are tough states for Dems

Biden is a bigger political liability for the two most vulnerable Democratic incumbents running in Montana and Ohio, where Trump is ahead by big margins. …

Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.), who is running for reelection to a fourth term, said he’s running his own race and trusts his brand will play a lot better with Montana voters. …

Tester has clashed with the Biden administration on several high-profile issues recently, notably the breakdown in security at the southern border. …

Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), who faces a serious headwind because of Biden’s unpopularity in his home state, said Tuesday that Biden didn’t go far enough to protect American workers from cheap Chinese imports. …

Brown broke with Biden in May of last year when he announced he would cosponsor legislation to extend the emergency COVID-19 health policy known as Title 42, which former President Trump invoked to keep migrants from entering the country. …

What sort of impact do you think President Biden’s popularity will have on the elections? Share your thoughts and prayers below.

(Excerpt from The Hill. Photo Credit: Michael Stokes – Biden13, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons)