It has been more than nine months since Joe Biden became President of the United States. In these nine months, the president has faced criticism on several issues ranging from his administration’s COVID-19 management to the Afghanistan withdrawal botch up.
A new poll of registered voters by Politico/Morning Consult shows that the majority of Americans are not exactly happy with the Biden administration and are worried about the future of their country.
When asked whether they approve or disapprove of Biden’s performance as president, 39 percent stated that they “strongly disapprove” of POTUS’ actions while 12 percent said they “somewhat disapprove.” In total, 51 percent held a negative view of the president’s track record. Only 46 percent supported Biden.
Sixty-one percent of respondents believe the country is headed down the “wrong track” while the other 39 percent felt it was going in the “right direction.” Security issues like the border crisis, foreign policy, and terrorism were top concerns of 16 percent. Five percent were interested in climate change issues.
For 38 percent of poll respondents, economic issues like spending, unemployment, taxes, jobs, and wages were the most critical problems. The supply chain crisis has put America on edge, with a shortage of workers adding to the woes. Some believe the situation could extend well into 2022 or 2023. This would also mean that inflation would keep spiking, pushing up prices of everyday goods and other consumer products.
Success
You are now signed up for our newsletter
Success
Check your email to complete sign up
Biden’s fall in popularity is reflected in other polls as well. In early October, AP-NORC published the results of a poll which showed that 49 percent of Americans disapproved of the way Biden is running the country. Only 50 percent gave a thumbs up to Biden. In August, the number was at 54 percent while in July, it was 59 percent.
Among Democrats, Biden’s approval rating dipped from 92 in August to 85 percent. Only 11 percent of Republicans approved of Biden. Racially, Biden saw the biggest approval decline among Black Americans, with only 64 percent supporting him against the previous number of 86 percent. Among White Americans, the number fell from 49 to 42 percent.
“If he (Biden) had a plan to destroy this country and divide this country, I don’t know how you could carry it out any better… We’re spending way too much money. We’re planning on spending even more. We don’t have a southern border,” an 81-year-old resident from New York told the Associated Press (AP). The person wanted to travel to Canada but could not due to COVID-19 restrictions.
The latest Gallup poll puts Biden’s approval among Americans at just 42 percent. Back in June, 56 percent had said that Biden was doing a good job. But in recent months, the numbers have fallen to 49 percent in August and 43 percent in September. When looking at approval ratings of American presidents roughly nine months into office over the past five decades, Biden would be ranked second last, with Trump claiming the bottom position.
When White House press secretary Jen Psaki was asked about Biden’s declining poll numbers, she responded by stating that this is a “really tough time” for the country. “We’re still battling COVID, and a lot of people thought we’d be through it, including us… There’s no question it’s affecting a lot of issues… Our focus is getting the pandemic under control, returning to life, a version of normal,” Psaki said.
