A sizable majority of Americans think the U.S. is headed in the wrong direction, according to a new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll taken before the 35-day partial government shutdown ended on Friday.
“Wrong track,” “disarray,” “turmoil,” “polarized,” “concerned,” “shambles” and “declining” were some of the answers given by respondents when asked to sum up their feelings on the state of America, NBC said on Sunday.
Only 28 percent of respondents said the U.S. is headed in the right direction -- the lowest percentage on that question during Donald Trump’s presidency. By contrast, 63 percent believe the country is on the wrong track -- tied for the highest mark since Trump took office.
Even so, the president’s approval rating was 43 percent, in line with it’s level in December. Trump’s disapproval rating was 54 percent, most of who say they strongly disapprove. Among Republicans, 86 percent approve of Trump’s performance.
The poll of 900 adults was conducted Jan. 20-23, and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.3 percentage points.
© Copyright 2025 Bloomberg News. All rights reserved.