After 6 Months of President Biden, Americans’ Optimism About Country’s Future Plummets

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Six months into Joe Biden’s presidency, Americans’ optimism about the coming year has plummeted nearly 20 points, a new ABC News/Ipsos poll found.

So what

The honeymoon phase of Biden’s presidency may be over.

The data

Then: Nearly two-thirds of the public, 64%, said they were optimistic about the direction of the country around Biden’s 100-day mark, per an ABC News/Ipsos survey at the time.

Now: A majority of Americans, 55%, said in the latest version of the same poll, conducted two months later, they are pessimistic about the next year.

What happened?

Money quote: “The decline in optimism has occurred across the board among Democrats, Republicans and independents,” ABC News reported on the results.

  • “It likely reflects the growing concern that lockdowns could be reinstated and already vaccinated Americans could need a booster shot as the highly contagious delta variant now is estimated to account for 83% of all new coronavirus cases in the United States.”

Per ABC News/Ipsos polling, approval of Biden’s leadership of the country’s economic recovering from the pandemic has also dropped, and most Americans disapprove of his handling of immigration and the situation at the U.S.-Mexico border, crime and gun violence.

By We'll Do It Live