Presidential visits to the land of dessert and oil have come in all different shapes and sizes over the years.

Franklin D. Roosevelt met King Ibn Saud back in 19-45, with Richard Nixon following his lead in 19-74... becoming the first sitting U-S leader to visit both Israel and the Arab states.

Right now, President Joe Biden's trip to the Middle East could be seen as proof he still cares about the region.

But what a time to be out of the country - as the White House is caught up in its domestic agenda, and war continues in Europe, not to mention the pandemic.

The last two decades were all about the Middle East, and Joe Biden wants to show they're not forgotten, despite America's diminishing presence.

As they say - when the cat's away the mice play... and the US learned that lesson before.

Biden's approval rating remains at an all-time low, and there are real fears for the Democrats ahead of the midterms.

So just how much trouble is Joe Biden in? And will his foreign agenda help save his approval ratings?

Ticker's Ahron Young spoke with U.S. journalist J.D. Durkin and Democratic Strategist Calvin Dark.