Nearly three out of four Americans believe the country is going in the wrong direction, a new NBC News poll has revealed.
Just 21% believe the country is headed in the right direction as 58% of respondents worried the country’s “best years may already be behind us,” the poll revealed. Only 35% believed the best was yet to come.
Despite predictions from pundits and political analysts that a recent string of legislative victories would translate into a boost at the polls, US President Biden’s approval rating has remained stubbornly low, with just 42% of Americans expressing support for his handling of the job in the latest findings.
The recently-signed Inflation Reduction Act, which many economists have noted will do next-to-nothing to curb inflation in the short term, has yet to inspire much enthusiasm among the electorate. While just 26% of respondents reported thinking the legislation will improve their situation personally, a full 71% said they either don’t expect the legislation to make a difference in their lives or believe it will make things even worse for them personally.
Biden’s mishandling of economic issues has contributed heavily to his low approval ratings. While his 40% approval on money matters is a big boost from his record low of 33% in March, the NBC News poll indicates he’s still 16 points underwater.
Even as another poll indicates 97% of business leaders believe the US is in a recession or headed towards one, Biden has stubbornly refused to admit the US is headed towards a recession, and was even accused of changing the traditional definition of “recession” to make his case.
“We’re not going to be in a recession,” he insisted to reporters last month. However, if the latest polls are any indication, the millions of voters suffering from rampant inflation and seemingly endless cost-of-living increases have yet to receive the memo.