6 in 10 say US has ‘seriously gone off on the wrong track’: poll

About 6 in 10 U.S. voters believe that the country has gone “pretty seriously” off “the wrong track” as President Biden faces a wave of criticism over his handling of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, according to a new Politico-Morning Consult poll released Wednesday. 

The study, conducted from Saturday to Monday, found that 61 percent of respondents believe the country is on the wrong track, compared to just 39 percent who say the country is “going in the right direction.” 

The survey also found a record-low overall approval rating for Biden at 47 percent, with 49 percent saying they disapproved of the president’s job performance overall. 

When it comes to Biden’s policy on Afghanistan, 61 percent of respondents said they either “somewhat disapprove” or “strongly disapprove” of the president’s performance, with 30 percent saying they either strongly or somewhat approved of how he addressed the situation. 

The poll, which included responses ahead of Biden’s announcement Monday that the U.S. had completed its military withdrawal from Afghanistan, found that an overwhelming 72 percent did not think the troop removal was going well, with just 22 percent saying it was going “very” or “somewhat well.” 

Despite the criticism on Biden’s job performance overall, survey respondents were more likely to have a favorable view of the president’s decision to remove all U.S. troops from Afghanistan by the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. 

According to the poll, 50 percent of American voters either strongly or somewhat supported Biden’s decision, with 41 percent indicating some level of opposition to the move. 

Biden has faced mounting bipartisan criticism over his withdrawal from Afghanistan, especially as anywhere from 100 to 200 American citizens remain in the country following weeks of the U.S. military’s operations to evacuate thousands of U.S. citizens and Afghan allies. 

However, the president has continued to stand by his decision, saying in remarks Tuesday that it was the “unanimous recommendation” of his national security team and military commanders to leave Afghanistan by the end of August. 

He went on to say that his security advisers noted that ongoing efforts to evacuate any additional Americans and Afghan allies from Afghanistan who wish to leave would be much safer if done through diplomatic means. 

Biden said that in total, the U.S. evacuated more than 5,500 Americans, with 100,000 Afghans rescued by U.S. and coalition forces following the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. 

The Politico-Morning Consult poll, which included nearly 2,000 registered voters, reported a margin of error of 2 percentage points.