Poll: Majority approve of Biden, but challenges remain

Most Americans approve of President Biden’s job performance in the White House so far, though deep skepticism remains that he’ll succeed in his long-stated goal of uniting a bitterly divided country, according to a new survey from the Pew Research Center.

Less than two months into his tenure as president, Biden enjoys broader support than his predecessor, former President Trump, notching 54 percent job approval. By comparison, Trump’s approval rating stood at 44 percent at a similar point in his presidency in 2017. 

But like Trump, Biden’s presidency is proving deeply polarizing. Eighty-six percent of Democrats and only 16 percent of Republicans gave the president positive marks. At a comparable point in Trump’s presidency, 84 percent of Republicans said they approved of his job performance. Among Democrats, his approval registered at a mere 11 percent.

The division between Democrats and Republicans isn’t new, but the Pew Research data shows how it has intensified in recent years.

Former President Obama enjoyed the approval of 37 percent of Republicans shortly after he took office in 2009. Likewise, former Presidents George W. Bush and Clinton scored 30 percent approval among voters from the opposing party after they were sworn in.

Given the stark partisan divisions at play, most Americans remain skeptical that Biden will be able to bring the country closer together, a pledge that he featured more heavily than any other during his 2020 presidential campaign. 

Fifty-two percent of respondents in the Pew Research poll said they have little or no confidence that Biden can unite the U.S. in the coming years. Slightly less — 48 percent — said they have at least some trust in his ability to accomplish that goal.

On other fronts, however, Biden has the confidence of a majority of Americans. Sixty-five percent said they believe he will be able to effectively handle the ongoing public health crisis created by the coronavirus pandemic. When it comes to his ability to handle U.S. foreign policy and the economy, 56 percent have confidence in Biden.

Overall, Republicans get poorer ratings from Americans than Democrats. Sixty percent of respondents reported an unfavorable view of the GOP, while 38 percent said they see the party in a favorable light. 

Democrats, on the other hand, are viewed favorably by 47 percent of U.S. adults. Slightly more — 51 percent — said they have an unfavorable view of the party. 

The Pew Research poll also shows the deep influence that Trump holds over the GOP and its voters nearly two months after leaving the White House. Only 43 percent of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents said that their party should be accepting of officials who openly criticize the former president. 

Those views, however, changed somewhat when Trump was removed from the equation. Seventy-one percent of Republicans and Republican-leaners said that the GOP should still be accepting of those who disagree with the party on some key issues. 

Democrats, meanwhile, appear more willing to tolerate dissent within their own ranks. Sixty-eight percent of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents believe that those who criticize Biden should still be accepted by the party. Even more — 80 percent — said that officials who break with the party on some key issues should still be welcomed in. 

Both parties, however, are viewed by most Americans as too extreme in their views. Sixty-one percent of respondents said that the GOP’s positions were too radical, while 37 percent said otherwise. Democrats were viewed as too extreme by 60 percent of U.S. adults surveyed, with 38 percent saying the party’s views were not too radical. 

For both, only 12 percent said that their positions were “not at all” extreme, according to the Pew Research survey. 

The Pew Research poll results are based on responses from 12,055 U.S. adults gathered March 1-7. The margin of sampling error is 1.5 percentage points.