WASHINGTON • President Joe Biden dropped to a new low in terms of poll numbers.

The RealClearPolitics average of polls on Wednesday showed Biden’s job approval rating plummeting to 38% for the first time since he became president a little more than 17 months ago.

Those who disapprove account for 57.5%, making for a 19.5-point split.

“Biden approval at new low in RCP Average, disapproval at new high,” RealClearPolitics co-founder and President Tom Bevan shared on Twitter.

At a time when the economy is feeling the pinch of rising inflation and high gas prices, Biden’s numbers on the economy are similarly poor.

The RCP average shows his job approval in that area at 33.4% approving and 62% disapproving.

The numbers examining Biden’s handling of foreign policy, immigration, and responding to the COVID-19 pandemic are not quite so bad, but the prevailing view on the direction the country is moving is grim.

The average shows 72.5% believe the country is heading in the wrong direction, while 20.3% say the right direction.

How do Biden’s overall approval numbers compare to those of his immediate predecessor, former President Donald Trump?

Trump hit a low of 37% approval and 58.1% disapproval in December 2017.

The Republican hit a nearly as bad average low toward the end of his administration, right after the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021.