Poll: 87% unhappy with state of America

WASHINGTON — Almost 90% of Americans say they are dissatisfied with the state of the country, and their unhappiness is affecting their political decisions four months before the presidential election, a new study from Pew Research Center shows.

Only 17% of Americans of any party say they are “proud” of the U.S. while 71% say they feel angry and 66% fearful. Just 12% of Americans say they are satisfied with the direction of the country, less than half of the 31% who said the same in a study in April; 87% now say they are dissatisfied.

The latest Pew online panel survey, which tracks opinions of the same respondents over time, was conducted June 16-22 — just as the number of coronavirus cases spiked in Sunbelt states and the recession deepened. It has a margin of error of 1.8 percentage points.

This unhappiness is affecting perceptions of President Donald Trump, who is 10 percentage points behind presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden. Some 54% of registered voters back Biden and 44% support Trump. The president’s approval rating dropped to 39%, while 59% of Americans disapproved. In the April survey, Trump’s approval was 44%.

Still, a slim majority of Americans say Trump has a better handle on the economy than Biden. Amid a recession, Trump leads Biden by 3 points, 51% to 48%, among voters who said they are very or somewhat confident in the candidate’s ability to make good decisions about economic policy.