LOTS TO WORRY ABOUT

70% pessimistic

Almost 70 percent of Americans are pessimistic about the current state of the country amid increasing worry over the COVID-19 pandemic, rising crime and the economy, according to a new poll.

About 69 percent of Americans say things are currently going badly in the United States, according to a CNN poll released Friday.

That number is up from the 60 percent who reported feeling the same

way back when the outlet conducted a poll in March.

Views regarding the state of the economy have also worsened, with 62 percent of Americans believing it is in poor shape, compared to 54 percent in April.

And about 57 percent say they are worried about rising crime in their communities.

The poll also shows that confidence in President Biden’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic has slipped a staggering 10 points. About 56 percent of Americans now approve of how Biden is handling the pandemic, compared with 66 percent back in April.

Biden’s overall approval rating also dropped. Only 52 percent of respondents gave him a thumbs-up compared with 48 percent who disapprove — a jump of 5 points in his negative rating since April.

The survey was conducted throughout August and early September, amid rising COVID-19 cases and mounting criticism over the Biden-ordered chaotic US military withdrawal from Afghanistan, which triggered a speedy takeover of the country by the Taliban. Biden’s popularity dipped five points during the later interviews.

The growing grumpiness about the direction of the United States and the economy cut across party lines. But the jump in Biden’s disapproval largely came from self-described independents — key swing voters in presidential elections. The number of indies that soured on Biden’s job performance jumped from 43 percent in April to 54 percent now, the poll found.

The poll was conducted between Aug. 3 and Sept. 7. The results are from a random national sample of 2,119 adults and interviews were conducted online or via telephone.