The majority of Americans believe President Joe Biden has done a “poor” job in uniting the country, a Rasmussen Reports survey released Tuesday found.
The survey asked respondents to rate how President Biden has done in terms of uniting the country. Fifty-three percent said he has done a “poor” job,” while 15 percent said “fair.” Another 20 percent said he is doing a “good” job, and 10 percent said “excellent.” Notably, 79 percent of Republicans and 60 percent of independents said Biden is doing a “poor” job at uniting the country. Democrats remain fairly divided, as 52 percent say he is doing either good or excellent, and 45 percent say poor or fair.
The survey also asked, “Has America become more united or more divided since last year’s election, or has it remained about the same?”
A solid majority of voters, 64 percent, said the country has become “more divided” since the last election, while 23 percent said it has remained “about the same.” Another 11 percent said it has been “more united,” and three percent said they are “not sure.”
A DC Under Siege protester and a Black Lives Matter activist argue in front of Sen. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s vandalized home on January 2, 2021, in Louisville, Kentucky. (Jon Cherry/Getty Images)
The majority of Republicans, 81 percent, agree that the U.S. is more divided, as do 63 percent of independents. A plurality of Democrats, 48 percent, agree that America has become more divided.
Per Rasmussen:
Majorities in every racial group – 65% of whites, 52% of black voters and 66% of other minorities – agree that America has become more divided since the last election. However, black voters (40%) and other minorities (39%) are more likely than whites (26%) to rate Biden excellent or good in terms of keeping his campaign promise to unite Americans.
The survey also asked respondents if they believed another Trump presidential campaign would make the country “more united or more divided.” A plurality, 43 percent, said “more divided,” while 31 percent said “more united.” One-fifth said it would “not make much difference.”
The survey, taken October 3-4, 2021, among 1,000 likely U.S. voters, has a margin of error of +/- 3 percent.
Notably, Biden attempted to make unity a central theme of his election, mentioning it several times in his inauguration address.
“I know speaking of unity can sound to some like a foolish fantasy. I know the forces that divide us are deep and they are real. But I also know they are not new,” he said, warning of “no peace, only bitterness and fury” without unity.
President Joe Biden receives a third dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine in the South Court Auditorium in the White House on September 27, 2021 in Washington, DC. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Weeks ago, Biden effectively broke his unity pledge in a divisive speech on the coronavirus, effectively blaming the unvaccinated for the state of the pandemic.
“We’ve been patient, but our patience is wearing thin. And your refusal has cost all of us,” he said.
“The bottom line: We’re going to protect vaccinated workers from unvaccinated co-workers. We’re going to reduce the spread of COVID-19 by increasing the share of the workforce that is vaccinated in businesses all across America,” he added.