President Biden touted the "best economy in the world" during an Easter Monday interview and argued people were going to turn out and vote in 2024 because they're "sick of the negativity."
Al Roker interviewed the president for NBC's "Today" show ahead of the White House's annual Easter egg roll and asked Biden to respond to people who might be hesitant about voting in the 2024 election.
"I think people are going to surprise people again. They're going to engage. We have an overwhelming response while we’re on the road. Look, we have tens of thousands of people contributing $5, $10 a pop. We have opened up 100 headquarters. We have people waiting to just get engaged. I just think people are so tired of the negativity that is propagated that they just want to get engaged. They want to change things. I’m optimistic, I really am," Biden responded.
Roker followed up with a question about the economy and people who aren't feeling good about their economic situations.
"Well, I'd say we have the best economy in the world. We have got to make it better. We really do have the best economy in the world," Biden said.
He then referred to the lasting impact of the pandemic, "Jobs are up more than they have ever been. We’re in a situation where the lowest unemployment rate in 50 years is maintained. We have people just – but people, look, I think we’re going to find out that what happened was a consequence of the crisis we had in health, is going to have a lasting effect."
"We just have to get people to move again. We’re ready. We will come together in a way that, I mean that sincerely. I’m truly optimistic," the president continued.
First Lady Jill Biden stood alongside the president for the interview and Roker asked her how she was feeling about the election.
"I feel great. I have been traveling across the country. People are ready to go, and we’re going to win this," she said.
‘MESSED UP': AMERICANS REACT TO BIDEN’S HANDLING OF THE ECONOMY AND ‘BIDENOMICS’ PUSH
A Fox News poll released on March 27 found that over half of voters feel they're worse off today than in 2020.
The poll also found that 73% of voters rate the economy negatively, which is a slight improvement compared to May 2023, when 83% of voters rated the economy negatively.
Thirty-eight percent approve of Biden’s handling of the economy, while 61% disapprove, the poll found.
The economy, election integrity, immigration, and health care are the top issues for voters as they decide which presidential candidate to support, with nearly half or more saying each is extremely important. Fewer feel that way about abortion, foreign policy, and climate change, the Fox News poll found.
Fox News' Dana Blanton contributed to this report.
