- While voters view Biden positively on his handling of the pandemic and Ukraine, he is underwater on the economy and overall – while Americans want a greater focus on the economy and inflation.
- A growing share say the worst of the pandemic is over both nationally and for themselves.
- Nearly two-thirds of Americans say they plan to continue wearing masks on public transit at least some of the time, in spite of recent relaxing of guidelines.
Biden’s Overall and Economic Approvals Are Underwater; Americans Show Positivity on Pandemic and Handling of Ukraine
Net approval of Biden’s handling of the situation in Ukraine has increased by 9 points (net -10 to net -1) since late March while his pandemic approval remains consistently above water at net +7.
The War in Ukraine and Student Loan Forgiveness Are Among Top Positive News about Biden
A slight majority (52%) of independents say they are hearing “mostly positive” or an “equal mix of positive and negative” about Biden, while the vast majority (77%) of Democrats and only 22% of Republicans say the same.
Americans Want Focus on the Economy and Inflation But See a Focus on Ukraine, Coronavirus, and Climate
There is a 25-point gap between the share who feel Biden and Congress are most focused on the economy (26%) and who want them to be most focused on the economy (51%).
- On inflation, there is a 28-point gap among independents (20% to 48%) and a 32-point gap among white Americans (22% to 54%).
Three in Five Now Say the “Worst Is Over” in the Pandemic
- Black Americans are the most pessimistic on the state of the pandemic: just 42% are optimistic that the “worst is over,” compared to 38% who say the “worst is yet to come.”
Growing Majority Say the Pandemic Is Over for Them Personally
More than half (53%) of Americans now say the pandemic is “mostly” or “completely” over for them, up from 41% in late February.
- Republicans (66%), white Americans (57%), and AAPI (55%) are most likely to say it is over for themselves, compared to just 42% of Democrats and 36% of Black Americans who say the same.
Nearly Two in Three Report They Will Continue Wearing Masks on Public Transit Always or When Cases Are High
Only three in ten Americans say they no longer plan to wear a face mask on public transportation (31%).
In Light of New Deal for Elon Musk to Buy Twitter, Americans Show Mixed Feelings on Both
Views of each are somewhat partisan: while Twitter is above water by 3 points among Democrats (net +3), it is underwater among independents (-4) and Republicans (-10). On the other hand, Musk is in the negative among Democrats (-5), compared to +4 and +48among independents and Republicans respectively.
Plurality Say They Don’t Care About Musk Buying Twitter
Views of each are somewhat partisan: while Twitter is above water by 3 points among Democrats (net +3), it is underwater among independents (-4) and Republicans (-10). On the other hand, Musk is in the negative among Democrats (-5), compared to +4 and +48among independents and Republicans respectively.
About The Study
This release features findings from national online surveys of 999 registered voters conducted April 28 - May 2, 2022. Additional interviews were conducted among 103 Hispanic voters, 100 African American voters, 101 independents without a partisan lean, and 59 Asian American and Pacific Islander voters.