The majority of voters are convinced the United States is headed in the wrong direction.
According to a new Politico-Morning Consult poll released Wednesday, 61% of voters believe things in the country have “pretty seriously gotten off on the wrong track.” Only 39% of voters think the country is moving in the “right direction.”
Respondents were also asked about whether they approve of the job President Joe Biden is doing. Only 47% approve of his job performance compared to 49% who disapprove.
Biden has faced criticism following the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan. When asked about whether they approve of his handling of the situation in Afghanistan, 47% said they “strongly disapprove” while only 12% said they “strongly approve.”
Fifty percent of respondents either “strongly support” or “somewhat support” Biden’s move. Forty-one percent expressed some opposition to his decision.
The president has repeatedly stood by his decision. He added while delivering remarks Tuesday, “I give you my word: With all of my heart, I believe this is the right decision, a wise decision, and the best decision for America.”
Biden explained the United States was “ready” when “they, the people of Afghanistan, watched their own government collapse and their president flee amid the corruption and malfeasance, handing over the country to their enemy, the Taliban, and significantly increasing the risk to U.S. personnel and our allies.”
He addressed those who suggested “we should have started mass evacuations sooner, and couldn’t this have been done in a more orderly manner?”
Biden replied, “I respectfully disagree. Imagine if we begun evacuations in June or July, bringing in thousands of American troops and evacuating more than 120,000 people in the middle of a civil war. There still would have been a rush to the airport, a breakdown in confidence and control of the government, and it still would have been a very difficult and dangerous mission.”