Well over half of Americans believe their country is heading in the wrong direction, and that President Biden is unfit to serve, a fresh Harvard CAPS-Harris poll has found.
61 percent told pollsters that the country is on the “wrong track” overall, with just 29 percent saying it’s on the “right track.” 62 percent agree that the nation’s economy is also on the “wrong track,” with 29 percent saying it is on the “right track.” 61 percent of Americans believe the economy is “weak,” compared with 39 percent who say it is “strong.”
35 percent of respondents believe the US is already in a recession, with 39 percent expecting it to be in a recession a year from now, and 27 percent expressing confidence that the country can avoid a recession.
The poll also found that 44 percent of Americans continue to either “strongly approve” or “somewhat approve” of Joe Biden’s job as president, while 55 percent expressed disapproval. 34 percent listed price increases and inflation as the number one issue facing the country, with the economy/jobs (26 percent), immigration (24 percent), guns (21 percent) and crime/drugs (17 percent) rounding out the top five, respectively. Between 53 and 58 percent of respondents said the Biden administration has spent too much and increased the deficit too much, respectively, with 60 percent saying they are “not confident” in President Biden’s ability to handle the nation’s economic problems.
59 percent of Americans also said they “have doubts” about President Biden’s mental fitness for the presidency, with 41 percent saying he is “mentally fit.” A whopping 68 percent agreed that he “too old,” with 32 percent saying he remains “fit” for the office.
Trump’s Shot at 2024
54 percent expect former President Donald Trump to win the Republican primaries. On the Democratic side, 62 percent of respondents said they would pick Joe Biden, with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. polling second at 16 percent. If Biden were to drop out, 44 percent said they would vote for Kamala Harris, and 22 percent for RFK Jr.
If Biden and Trump had a rematch of 2020 today, 45 percent of voters said they would pick Trump, with 40 percent picking Biden. If Harris ran in Biden’s place, Trump would win 47 percent, and Harris 38 percent.
64 percent of respondents said Biden should not run for a second term, with 57 percent saying the same about Trump. 57 percent said they would “consider an independent moderate candidate” if the choice in the election comes down to Biden and Trump.
Asked about Trump’s potential third indictment, this time related to his actions/inaction on January 6, 49 percent of those polled said they believe the president was “personally responsible” for the violence, while 51 percent said the storming of the Capitol was the “act of an unruly mob.” 53 percent said his calls on supporters to go to the Capitol to demonstrate peacefully were protected by the 1stAmendment, while 47 percent said he “committed a crime.”
56 percent expect another indictment to hurt Trump, but also agreed with the sentiment that it would be a “distraction” that “adds more drama to the 2024 election.” The same 56 percent say Trump would likely be acquitted if tried.
Voters were also asked to comment on the cocaine found in the White House, with 63 percent saying the matter should be investigated further. 37 percent said they found the Secret Service’s conclusions that it couldn’t be determined who did it acceptable.
The first 2024 Republican presidential debate is expected to be held on August 23 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Democratic National Committee has expressed full-throated support for Biden and is not expected to hold any official primary debates. Republican caucuses and primaries will kick off in mid-January with the Iowa caucus, followed by the New Hampshire primary. Democrats will hold their first primary in South Carolina on February 3.