Politics

Nearly two-thirds of Americans doubt they can trust Biden, poll shows

As President Biden’s first year in office comes to an end, nearly two out of every three Americans has doubts and reservations about him — with 70 percent saying his policies have worsened the economy or had no effect, according to a new poll.

According to the CNN poll conducted by SSRS, 66 percent of Americans said they doubted whether Biden was “a leader you can trust,” a number that included 92 percent of Republicans, 75 percent of independents and 36 percent of Democrats.

The poll also found that 45 percent of adults believe the president’s policies have worsened the economy while only 30 percent say they have had a positive impact and 25 percent said they had no impact at all.

When asked how they thought the president had handled the economy overall, 54 percent expressed disapproval – an increase of five percentage points from late summer and 12 percentage points from late April.

In its first year, the Biden administration has been slammed with a number of economic crises including supply chain backlogs, rising gas prices, increased housing costs and inflation. The survey found that 80 percent of Americans considered inflation to be “a major problem” for the economy, 79 percent thought the same of supply chain disruptions, 77 percent thought the same of rising home prices and 70 percent considered increased gas prices to be a major economic problem.

President Joe Biden has been criticized for allowing supply-chain issues to cause shortages this holiday season. Getty Images
Only 30 percent of pollsters say President Joe Biden’s “policies have” improved the economy, according to SSRS. SSRS Opinion Panel
President Joe Biden’s job approval ratings have significantly declined throughout 2021. Bloomberg via Getty Images

Meanwhile, just 21 percent of respondents said their financial situation was better while 69 percent said their financial situation was worse or about the same.

The survey put Biden’s overall job approval at 49 percent with 51 percent disapproval – and only 16 percent “strongly approving” and 34 percent “strongly disapproving.”

In all, the president’s approval rating was down four points from its high of 53 percent in late April, while his disapproval rating was up 10 points from the poll low of 41 percent in early March.

The poll, released Wednesday, surveyed 1,256 adults from Dec. 8-12 and carries a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.7 percentage points.

Less than half of registered voters have approved of Vice President Kamala Harris’ performance. Sarahbeth Maney/The New York Times via AP, Pool
More Americans have gradually disapproved of President Joe Biden’s handling of the economy, immigration and foreign affairs, according to SSRS. SSRS Opinion Panel
Just 21 percent of respondents say their financial well-being has improved under President Joe Biden. AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster

Meanwhile, Vice President Kamala Harris’ own ratings remain stubbornly low.

A recent The Hill/HarrisX survey published this week reported that just 43 percent of registered voters approve of Harris’ job performance, while 50 percent disapproved and 7 percent said they were unsure.

The poll further found that 39 percent of voters “strongly disapprove” of Harris, compared to 23 percent who only “somewhat approve” of her and 20 percent who “strongly approve.”.