Joe Biden’s approval rating at all-time low after Afghanistan withdrawal, poll shows

Joe Biden’s approval rating as president of the United States is at an all-time low after the chaotic withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan amid a lightning-fast Taliban offensive last month that won the insurgents control of the state machinery in the war-torn country.

According to a new Marist National Poll with NPR and PBS Newshour, US President Joe Biden’s approval rating has fallen to a new low of 43 per cent, the lowest since he took office. The majority of Americans disapprove of the way Biden handles foreign policy, while a large section of the populace has also termed the United States’ role in Afghanistan a “failure”.

While Joe Biden’s approval rating as the US president is currently at 43 per cent, about 56 per cent of Americans disapprove of his handling of foreign policy. Around 61 per cent of the populace is against the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan, the data published by Marist Poll reveals. Although Americans are not sure about what exactly should have happened in Afghanistan, a large majority (around 71 per cent) say that United States’ role was a “failure”, the poll said.

The 71 per cent of Americans who said so include 73 per cent of Republicans but also 66 per cent of Democrats, a large majority, hinting at a major dissent among Biden’s own party colleagues. This section also includes around 75 per cent of independent politicians.

A large majority of Americans or 61 per cent, however, seem to think Afghanistan “must determine its future without US involvement,” while 29 per cent of the populace believe that it is the United States’ “duty” to stay involved with the war-torn nation’s affairs.

When Americans were asked how the US ought to have handled the Afghanistan situation, opinions were varied and divided. While 37 per cent admit that all US troops should have been withdrawn, 38 per cent of the populace says that some troops should have been withdrawn and some left behind. Smaller proportions say no troops should have been withdrawn (10 per cent) or more troops should have been sent (5 per cent).

Finally, the poll revealed that Americans do not think that the responsibility for the situation in Afghanistan rests solely on Biden. Overall, the largest section of all those who were polled, 36 per cent, ranked George W Bush as being the most responsible for the ‘failure’ of the military mission, followed by Joe Biden at 21 per cent, Barack Obama at 15 per cent, and Donald Trump at 12 per cent. Democrats, however, list Republicans Bush (53 per cent) and Trump (22 per cent) as their top two. Republicans list Democrats Biden (38 per cent) and Obama (34 per cent) as their top two.

The Ashraf Ghani-led government in Afghanistan fell on August 15 following a Taliban blitzkrieg which saw the insurgents winning control of one province after another throughout the month, all while the United States continued to draw back its troops, ending its extended two-decade-long military mission in Afghanistan. The administration stuck to the August 31 deadline fixed by Joe Biden, even as critics raised concern over the deteriorating situation in the country in light of the Taliban offensive.