Poll: 80 percent of voters say things are ‘out of control’ in US

An overwhelming majority of American voters say in a new poll that things are currently “out of control” as the nation grapples with the coronavirus pandemic and widespread protests in response to the police-involved death of George Floyd. 

The NBC News-Wall Street Journal survey, released on Sunday, found that 80 percent of registered voters generally feel that things in the U.S. are out of control, while just 15 percent say that things are “under control.” 

Majorities of Republicans (66 percent), Democrats (92 percent) and independents (78 percent) agree that things are currently “out of control” in the U.S. 

The poll was conducted between May 28 and June 2, just as massive protests swept across the nation following the death of Floyd, a black man who died in police custody in Minneapolis. The survey also came weeks after the country recorded more than 100,000 deaths from COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. 

However, it was completed before Friday’s job report showed that the economy added 2.5 million jobs in May and that the unemployment rate declined to 13.3 percent. 

Most voters in the poll remain concerned about the spread of COVID-19 and the state of the economy.

A combined 63 percent said they are “very” or “somewhat” worried that they or an immediate family member could contract the virus. The figure represents a 10-point dip from a similar survey conducted in April, however. 

Meanwhile, 46 percent of respondents said they viewed the economy as “poor,” the highest percentage for that question since September 2012, NBC noted. Thirty-one percent described it as “fair” and just 17 percent said it was “good.” 

As for the protests, a majority of voters — 59 percent — said that they are more troubled by Floyd’s death and the actions of the police than the demonstrations, which have sometimes turned violent. 

Just 27 percent said they were more concerned by the protests launched in response to Floyd’s death. 

Opinions divide along partisan lines on this question. While 81 percent of Democrats and 59 percent of independents said they’re more concerned about Floyd’s death, just 29 percent of Republicans agreed. 

The NBC News-Wall Street Journal poll surveyed a sample of 1,000 voters. It has a margin of error of 3.59 percentage points.