Most US adults say country is heading in wrong direction: poll

Most U.S. adults say the country is heading in the wrong direction, according to a recent survey from the Associated Press-NORC Research Center.

The poll, released Saturday, found 78 percent of respondents saying the country is headed in the wrong direction. Only 21 percent said it is headed in the right direction.

Just a month ago, slightly more Americans appeared to have a positive view of the country’s direction. Seventy-five percent said the country was headed in the wrong direction, while 25 percent said it was headed in the right direction.

The new poll also found a dip in President Biden’s job approval numbers in comparison to recent months, possibly spelling bad news for him as the next election year looms. This month, only 38 percent of Americans said they approved of the way he is handling his job as president, in comparison to 40 percent last month and 42 percent the month before that.

Biden’s Republican colleagues in government aren’t getting much love from the public either. 

Only 19 percent of Americans in the recent poll said they have a “very” or “somewhat” favorable opinion of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), who was ousted from his former position by a bipartisan vote in the House at the beginning of the month. 

In the same poll, only 17 percent of Americans said they have a “very” or “somewhat” favorable opinion of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). Concerns about McConnell’s health and competency have risen recently after he appeared to freeze at two different press conferences within a matter of weeks. 

The poll was conducted between Oct. 5-9 and featured responses from 1,163 U.S. adults over the age of 18. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.9 percentage points.