What they’re saying: “He’s basically losing the expectations game,” said Cliff Young, president of Ipsos U.S. public affairs. “Once the Delta variant raised its ugly head, it affected people’s lives, and now they’re adjusting their expectations, which is not good for him.”

“His central pillar … is his ability to bring to a resolution the pandemic and the COVID issue. He’s in a very difficult place.”…

By the numbers: In our June survey, 36% of U.S. adults said they expected to be able to get back to their normal, pre-COVID lives at some point within six months. Today, that share is just 13%.

Those expecting it to take more than a year has tripled over the same period, from 9% to 30%.