Most Americans say Biden hasn’t been tough enough on Russia: poll
More than half of Americans believe President Biden has been too weak in his response to Russia over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, and only about a quarter of Americans have confidence in his ability to handle a crisis, according to a new poll released Thursday.
Overall, 56% believe the president has not reacted forcefully enough to the Kremlin invasion launched on Feb. 24, while 36% say he has handled it “about right,” and just 6% think he has been “too tough,” according to an Associated Press/NORC survey.
More than two-thirds of Republicans (68%) and almost the same proportion of independents (64%) say the president’s response hasn’t been tough enough, while 43% of Democrats feel the same.
When asked about Biden’s ability to effectively handle a crisis, 74% say they have “hardly any” or “only some” confidence, compared to 26% who say they have a “great deal” of trust in his ability.
The percentages are about the same for Biden’s ability to manage the military, with 72% percent saying they have “only some” or “hardly any” confidence and 26% saying they have a “great deal.”
The poll continues a trend of strong approval for measures the White House has taken so far in response to the invasion, with 68% approving of sanctions on Russia — a figure that includes 64% of Republicans — and 70% supporting an embargo on Russian energy imports.
By contrast, only 10% disapprove of the economic sanctions and just 13% object to the banning of oil imports.
Americans’ overall disapproval of Biden in the AP-NORC poll stands at 56%, up one percentage point from February’s poll, which was taken prior to the start of the Russian invasion. The president’s approval rating slipped to 43% from 44% the previous month.
A higher percentage of Americans disapprove of his handling of foreign policy (57%), as well as the economy (65%), though more than half (53%) approve of Biden’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Overall, more than two-thirds of Americans (68%) believe the country is headed in the wrong direction, a sentiment shared by 93% of Republicans, 80% of independents and 43% of Democrats.
The poll was released as Biden traveled to Brussels to meet with NATO leaders to discuss imposing more sanctions on Russia and to determine how to respond in case Vladimir Putin unleashes his chemical or nuclear arsenal on Ukraine.
David Stoddard, a retired Border Patrol agent in Sierra Vista, Ariz., summed up his feelings about Biden succinctly: “He’s scared.”
“He’s scared of Putin. He’s scared of (China’s) Xi (Jinping). He’s scared of everything,” Stoddard, 76, told the Associated Press.
He would prefer the leadership of former President Donald Trump.
The 45th president would tell Putin that he “may have a red button, but the United States’ red button is even bigger,” he said.
Stoddard believes Biden could do more to tighten sanctions on Russia and suggested that the president take Poland up on its offer to send MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine.
The poll also showed that backing for the US playing a “major role” in the Ukraine-Russia conflict has increased to 40% from 26% last month.
At the same time, 47% of Americans are “extremely” or “very” concerned that the US will be drawn into a war with Russia, while 38% are “somewhat” concerned and 15% are “not very” or “not concerned at all.”
Rachel Collins, an elementary school teacher from Chicago, said Biden is “between a rock and a hard place.”
“I think that he’s doing the right thing and being cautious, but it’s really hard when you’re watching and reading about these stories day to day,” Collins, 41, a Democrat, told the AP. “More aggressive at where we are means putting troops on the ground, and I don’t necessarily know if that’s the answer either.”
“Then, you know, there’ll be people saying, ‘Why are we putting troops in there?,’” Collins said.
The poll surveyed 1,082 adults between March 17 and 22 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.
