Two bits of bad news for the White House today.

First, Barack Obama’s approval rating has hit its lowest point for his presidency: 38%. A majority of 54% now disapprove of the job he’s doing. The second-lowest approval rating during President Downgrade’s administration was 39%, which was reached just last week.

Second, Barack Obama now trails a generic Republican challenger by 5% — outside the poll’s margin of error. If given the choice today, 48% of likely voters would vote for a generic Republican nominee, whereas only 43% would vote to give Obama another four years in office.