Just 13 percent say US headed in right direction: survey

Just 13 percent of Americans believe that the country is headed in the right direction, according to a New York Times/Siena College poll. 

The poll, published on Monday, found that 77 percent felt the country was headed in the wrong direction, a terrible number for Democrats, who hold slim majorities in the House and Senate.

The party is at risk of losing both majorities in this fall’s midterm elections, particularly if dissatisfaction with the party’s leadership keeps party voters home.

Just 27 percent of Democrats in the poll say the country is headed in the right direction, while only 5 percent of Republican respondents and 9 percent of independent respondents agree when asked the same question.

Nine percent of white respondents believe that the U.S. is headed in the right direction, compared to 30 percent of Black respondents and 21 percent of Hispanic respondents, according to the poll. 

The numbers are particularly grim for President Biden and Democrats when it comes to younger voters.

Just 10 percent of respondents who are 18 to 29 years old said they think the country is on the right track, while 77 percent of respondents in their age group does not, the poll said. 

Biden says he plans to run for reelection in 2024, but the poll also found a majority of Democrats — 64 percent — would prefer a different Democratic candidate in the next presidential election.

Thirteen percent of respondents said they strongly approve of the job Biden has done as president, while 45 percent of respondents disapprove of Biden‘s job as president. 

The New York Times/Siena College poll was conducted July 5-7, with a total of 849 respondents. The poll’s margin of error was 4.1 percentage points.