61% of Americans believe US is on 'wrong track': poll

CHICAGO, United States

The majority of Americans believe the country has gotten "pretty seriously" off on the wrong track and approval for President Joe Biden has dropped as well, a new poll found.

The Morning Consult-Politico poll surveyed almost 2,000 voters at the end of August as the US was ending military operations in Afghanistan and during the chaotic final hours of the mission to get Americans and allies out of the airport in Kabul.

The poll asked voters if they felt things in the US were going in the right direction or "pretty seriously" on the wrong track. Sixty-one percent chose the "wrong track," compared to 39% who said the country is going in the "right direction."

Separately, 48% of respondents either strongly or somewhat approve of the job Biden was doing as president. But 50% said they disapprove, including 37% who said they "strongly" disapprove.

Biden received especially low marks for his policy on Afghanistan. Sixty-one percent said they either "somewhat" or "strongly" disapprove of his performance on ending the 20-year war in that country. And 72% felt the removal of troops was going poorly.

Still, 50% said they agree with the decision to end US troop presence, while 41% showed some level of opposition.

Biden said in a televised address on Tuesday that he stood by his decision to end the Afghanistan "forever war" and called the evacuation an "extraordinary success."