More than two-thirds of voting Americans agree President Joe Biden has taken the US down the wrong track, a new poll conducted a year into his presidency has revealed.
The results showed some 68% of respondents thought the country was going in the wrong direction, while 32% suggested it was headed the right way. Conducted over the weekend by Morning Consult and Politico, the poll surveyed 2,005 registered voters.
More than half of respondents (56%) disapprove of the job Biden is doing in the White House, with 40% disapproving strongly.
While 40% in total approve of his performance, only 16% “strongly” approve, while 4% lack an opinion on the matter.
Asked what grade they would give Biden, 40% said he got an ‘F’, while only 6% gave him an ‘A’ and 14% gave him a ‘B’.
When questioned about their primary concerns, 42% pointed to the economy as their chief issue, with security issues coming in second at 14%. Inflation has driven up prices for everything from food staples to fuel and building materials in recent months – and 59% of respondents indicated that Biden’s policies were either “very responsible” or “somewhat responsible.”
Healthcare and aging-related issues like Medicare and Social Security both drew the attention of 11% of voters, while energy and education trailed at 5% each.
A majority (47%) also suggested they would trust Republicans in Congress more than Democrats (34%), while 19% had no opinion. Democrats have a slim majority in the House and a single-vote lead (cast by Vice President Kamala Harris) in the Senate, meaning losing just one seat could upend the current balance of power.
When judged on his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, Biden received low marks from voters, with 44% ranking his performance as “poor.” Both Congress and White House chief medical advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci were rated “poor” by 32% of respondents.
Biden’s approval ratings cratered last year as he failed to deliver on his chief campaign promise of “shutting down” the Covid-19 epidemic. The number of coronavirus deaths has soared in recent months as the Omicron variant has swept across the nation despite the availability of vaccines.
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