Poll: 85 Percent of Americans Believe Nation Headed in ‘Wrong Direction’

A poll has found that 85 percent of Americans believe the country is heading down the wrong track, up 36 percent from January 2021, when President Joe Biden took office.

The Associated Press/NORC poll shows the belief that the country is heading in the “wrong direction” is shared by Democrats and Republicans alike. Of Democrats surveyed, 78 percent say the country is heading in the “wrong direction,” a sharp 25 percent increase from March, when 43 percent said the country was on the wrong track. The overall figure of 85 percent is up from a Politico poll earlier this week, which found that 78 percent of voters believed the country was heading in the wrong direction.

The AP/NORC poll also reveals that Biden is underwater with independents, as only one in four approves of his performance as president. Moreover, 72 percent of Democrats approve of Biden, while 91 percent of Republicans disapprove. Poll participants were also asked to rate his handling of critical issues such as the economy, gun policy, as well as the Wuhan coronavirus.

A mere 14 percent of independents surveyed approve of how Biden has managed the economy, while Democrats are nearly split on the issue, 54 percent approving and 43 percent disapproving. In total, just 28 percent were happy with his handling of the matter, “down from 51% a year ago,” according to a release associated with the poll. More than eight in ten of those surveyed rate the state of the economy as “poor,” including 90 percent of Republicans and 67 percent of Democrats. The latest number marks a 17 percent increase among Democrats, as 50 percent in March categorized the economy as “poor.”

On the issue of how Biden is “handling gun policy,” 36 percent say they approve, while 62 percent disapprove, with just over a quarter of independents supporting his management of the issue and 34 percent of Democrats disapproving.

Regarding the Wuhan coronavirus, most independents (60 percent) are unhappy with Biden’s management of the pandemic, while the vast majority of Democrats (85 percent) are satisfied. Three-quarters of Republicans disapprove of how the president has handled the pandemic.

The poll surveyed 1,053 adults nationwide via landlines and cell phones between June 23-27 and has a margin of error of plus or minus four percent.