Poll: Americans' Optimism Plunges Nearly 20 Points Amid Crime Surge, Open Borders And Inflation

Americans' optimism about country's direction over next year drops nearly 20 points since May: POLL
In May, a little more than a third were pessimistic. Now, it is a majority.

By Quinn Scanlan | July 25, 2021, 7:01 AM

As President Joe Biden completed 100 days in office, the country was optimistic about the coming year, but now, just after hitting the six-month mark, Americans' optimism about the direction of the country has plummeted nearly 20 points, a new ABC News/Ipsos poll finds.

A majority -- 55% -- of the public say they are pessimistic about the direction of the country, a marked change from the roughly one-third (36%) that said the same in an ABC News/Ipsos poll published May 2. In the early May survey, Americans were more optimistic than pessimistic by a 28-percentage point margin. Optimism is now under water by 10 points. Looking ahead to the next 12 months, fewer than half -- 45% -- now report feeling optimistic about the way things are going, a significant drop from about two-thirds (64%) in the May poll.

The decline in optimism has occurred across the board among Democrats, Republicans and independents. Optimism is down about 20 points among Democrats and Republicans and down 26 points among independents. Among Democrats, about 7 in 10 (71%) now say they are optimistic about the direction of the country over the next 12 months. That's much lower than the near universal (93%) approval from Democrats on Biden's handling of the pandemic. In politics today, partisans usually are more unified in their support or opposition to particular issues or people.

The optimism-pessimism flip comes as Americans give Biden his lowest approval rating for his handling of the pandemic yet in ABC News/Ipsos polling. A little over 6 in 10 (63%) approve of the president's response to the coronavirus, according to the poll, which was conducted by Ipsos in partnership with ABC News using Ipsos' KnowledgePanel.

BORDER THREAD: Cubans arrive by bus to Acuna, Mexico, then grab a taxi to near the Rio Grande, which is the U.S.-Mexico border. pic.twitter.com/yyV9VANQUq

— Charlotte Cuthbertson (@charlottecuthbo) July 25, 2021

Litter is strewn all over the ground. Passports, visas, IDs are torn up and discarded here. They're told it's harder to deport them from the US if they don't bring ID. pic.twitter.com/e79TMmuEc4

— Charlotte Cuthbertson (@charlottecuthbo) July 25, 2021

BORDER: A tiny fraction of the number of passports, visas, and ID cards that are discarded on the shore of the Rio Grande in Acuna, Mexico, before individuals cross to the United States. They're told it's harder for the U.S. to deport them if they don't have ID. pic.twitter.com/KJel2iiSfd

— Charlotte Cuthbertson (@charlottecuthbo) July 25, 2021

Wow. 20,000 apprehensions in *one week* down in the Rio Grande Valley sector. That’s the capacity of STAPLES Center.

This is not seasonal migration, it is not slowing down in the heat, and there is no “extreme progress” being made, as the administration has claimed. https://t.co/3QEVjIynDj

— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) July 25, 2021

NEW: An absolutely massive group of 350+ migrants have arrived at the border fence here in Del Rio. They are from all around the world. Haiti. Africa. Brazil. Colombia. Very few from Northern Triangle. More are streaming down the path from the Rio Grande after crossing. @FoxNews pic.twitter.com/Cd4eHr7zCe

— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) July 25, 2021

Another journalist here asked this migrant what she thinks about President Biden. She responded “Gracias al Presidente Biden por la oportunidad de venir aqui ahora.”
(Thanks to President Biden for the opportunity to come here now.)
Some tell us now is the time to come. @FoxNews pic.twitter.com/a4yAJ2BAdN

— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) July 25, 2021

Groups of single adult males are being loaded into Border Patrol vans. One man flashes a thumbs up before he gets into the vehicle. Overheard one BP agent say they are taking a group of 50 of them a processing center in Eagle Pass, TX, which is about an hour from Del Rio @FoxNews pic.twitter.com/Iz2SgKuubD

— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) July 25, 2021

WINNING: 73% of American voters have been following the debate about critical race theory and believe it "will make race relations worse" by a 19-point margin.

The American people—including a plurality of independents and racial minorities—reject CRT. pic.twitter.com/lesZ3Md0YN

— Christopher F. Rufo ⚔️ (@realchrisrufo) July 26, 2021