Republican satisfaction about the country’s direction is at the lowest level since 2017 as the nation struggles to reopen amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new Gallup poll.
Only 48% of Republican respondents said in May that they were satisfied with the direction of the country, which is down from 80% in February after the Senate acquitted President Trump in its impeachment trial.
The last time Gallup showed Republican satisfaction in the 40% range was in November 2017, at 44%. The poll does not provide reasons why respondents were not satisfied, but the coronavirus pandemic has likely damaged how Republicans view the direction of the country.
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Satisfaction levels for the other political parties have remained relatively consistent since 2017 when compared to Republicans.
Few Democrats have been satisfied with the country’s direction, ranging from 13% in February 2017 to 15% for the current month.
Independents’ views fluctuate more than Democrats but not as wildly as Republicans. In February 2017, 23% were satisfied with the country’s direction. That figure is at 34% for May.
The improvements in satisfaction over the past month among independents, and to some extent Democrats, have offset the decline among Republicans, keeping overall satisfaction in the country near 30%. Overall, 32% of respondents said they were satisfied with the country’s direction in the May poll. The figure was 30% in February 2017.
The Gallup poll was conducted between May 1 and May 13 and tapped the views of 1,028 respondents who were at least 18 years old and lived in the United States.
