More than half of Americans say they’re PESSIMISTIC about the next 12 months

A majority of Americans are pessimistic about where the country will be in another 12 months from now – an almost 20 percent increase compared to a similar survey taken after President Joe Biden’s first 100 days in office.

A new ABC News/Ipsos poll found that 55 percent of Americans say they are pessimistic about the direction the country is headed while 45 percent say they are optimistic.

In early May, a similar poll found that 36 percent said they were pessimistic about the future of the country while 64 percent said they were optimistic.

After six months in office, the president is receiving mixed reviews for his handling on a range of issues, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the economy, and the troop withdrawal from Afghanistan.

The latest survey found that pessimism is being expressed among Democrats, Republicans, and independents.

Among Democrats and Republicans, optimism is down around 20 percent.

A majority of Americans are pessimistic about where the country will be in another 12 months from now – an almost 20 percent increase compared to a similar survey taken after President Joe Biden’s first 100 days in office

A new survey found that more Americans disapprove of President Joe Biden's handling of immigration, crime, and the economic recovery. Biden is seen above in Arlington, Virginia on Friday

A new survey found that more Americans disapprove of President Joe Biden’s handling of immigration, crime, and the economic recovery. Biden is seen above in Arlington, Virginia on Friday

There is an even steeper drop in optimism among independents – 26 percent, according to the survey, which interviewed 527 adults on Friday and Saturday.

The respondents polled by ABC News/Ipsos are broken down into partisan loyalties, with 31 percent of those surveyed Democrats, 24 percent Republicans, and 36 percent independents.

In May, 89 percent of Democrats said they were optimistic about the direction of the country over the next 12 months.

The latest survey, however, shows that just 71 percent of Democrats said they were optimistic over where the country is headed.

Optimism among independents has declined by 26 percentage points – from 64 percent in May to just 38 percent today.

A majority of the country largely approves of Biden’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, with 63 percent saying the president is doing a good job on that front, according to the survey.

Jack Herrington, a student at the University of Memphis in Tennessee, receives a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine on Thursday. The fear of another lockdown due to the spread of the contagious Delta variant has Americans worried, according to a new survey

Jack Herrington, a student at the University of Memphis in Tennessee, receives a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine on Thursday. The fear of another lockdown due to the spread of the contagious Delta variant has Americans worried, according to a new survey

But that figure is low compared to previous polls which showed Biden’s approval rating as overwhelmingly positive.

In late March, surveys showed as much as 72 percent of the public approving of the president’s performance as it relates to COVID-19.

The lower polling numbers could be a reflection of a widespread fear among Americans that the government may re-impose lockdown measures to mitigate the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, said that the country is in an ‘unnecessary predicament’ of soaring COVID-19 cases fueled by unvaccinated Americans and the virulent Delta variant.

‘We’re going in the wrong direction,’ said Fauci, describing himself as ‘very frustrated.’

He said recommending that the vaccinated wear masks is ‘under active consideration’ by the government’s leading public health officials.

Also, booster shots may be suggested for people with suppressed immune systems who have been vaccinated, Fauci said.

Fauci, who also serves as Biden’s chief medical adviser, told CNN’s State of the Union that he has taken part in conversations about altering the mask guidelines.

He noted that some local jurisdictions where infection rates are surging, such as Los Angeles County, are already calling on individuals to wear masks in public regardless of vaccination status.

Fauci said those local rules are compatible with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendation that the vaccinated do not need to wear masks in public.

Nearly 163 million people, or 49 percent of the eligible US population, are vaccinated, according to CDC data.

As of Saturday, the seven-day rolling average of daily new cases was nearly 50,000, a 166 percent increase from two weeks ago, according to a DailyMail.com analysis of Johns Hopkins data.

Meanwhile vaccination rates are plateauing, with just 57 percent of the eligible population fully vaccinated.

The recent survey by ABC News/Ipsos indicates that about 60 percent of Americans are concerned that they or someone they know will become infected with the coronavirus.

Of those, 20 percent said they are very concerned while 42 percent said they are somewhat concerned.

Nearly 4 in 10 – or 39 percent – said they are not concerned about it.

While the number of concerned Americans has dropped, that’s because this survey was done at a time when everyone over the age of 12 is eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.

The poll shows that 74 percent of adults said they had at least one dose of the vaccine – which is slightly higher than the actual rate of vaccination among the general public.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that around 69 percent of the adult population has been injected with at least one dose.

Those who were surveyed and indicated that they were partially vaccinated were more concerned about being infected – 67 percent – while 46 percent of those who are not vaccinated said they were concerned about infection.

Biden’s handling of the economy has also seen some slippage among those polled.

While the overwhelming majority of Democrats – 88 percent – approve of Biden’s handling of the economy, around half (49 percent) of independents agree.

Just 16 percent of Republicans approve of Biden’s management of the economy, according to the survey.

Biden is also receiving low marks for his handling of immigration and the surge of migrants across the US-Mexico border as well as a rise in violent crime nationwide.

Fewer than 4 in 10 Americans approve of Biden’s handling of all three issues.

Among Republicans, the disapproval is overwhelming – ranging between 86 percent and 92 percent, according to the survey.

Biden does have more than majority approval rating for the troop withdrawal from Afghanistan.

The survey found 55 percent of Americans approve of the president’s policy.

When asked if Biden has delivered on campaign promises, just 52 percent say he has done an excellent or good job keeping his promises while 47 percent says he’s done a not so good or poor job. 

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