Poll: 63 Percent of GOP Voters Believe Country is Heading in the Wrong Direction

According to a new poll by the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, 63 percent of Republican voters expressed a belief that the country is heading in the wrong direction.

Most Americans––74 percent––said they believe the country is heading in the wrong direction. 37 percent of Republicans said they believe President Donald Trump is dividing the country.

“Instead of bringing us all together, he’s pulling us all apart,” said Donna Oates, a 63-year-old retiree from Chino, California who said she changed her voter registration to Democrat after feeling frustrated with the president.

“Presidents seeking four more years in office typically rely on voters being optimistic about the direction the country is headed and eager to stay the course — a view most Americans don’t currently hold,” Julie Pace and Emily Swanson report for The Associated Press. “Just 24% say the country is headed in the right direction, down from 33% a month ago and 42% in March. That’s when the COVID-19 pandemic began taking hold in the U.S., killing nearly 120,000 Americans to date and upending most aspects of daily life.”

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The report goes on to note that the president’s approval rating “during this moment of tremendous upheaval sits at 39%.”

Although many Americans have approved of the president’s approach to the economy, 54 percent said they believe he’s worsened the political climate since the killing of George Floyd sparked protests around the country. 37 percent––that’s seven points lower than March polling results––say they approve of his approach to the coronavirus pandemic, which to date has killed more than 120,000 Americans nationwide.

Alan Herrera

Alan is a writer, editor, and news junkie based in New York.