President Joe Biden pitched himself as the man to unify the country at his inaugural address almost one year ago to the day, but that has gone even worse than his low approval ratings, according to the latest Politico/Morning Consult Poll.
A majority of registered Democrat voters (67%) see Biden as a unifier to date, when the poll asked: "Generally, would you say President Biden has done more to unite or divide the country since he took office?"
A majority of independents (53%) say he has been divisive, while 84% of Republicans agree with them. With both Biden and former President Donald Trump strong among voters in their party, independents figure to be a deciding voting bloc in a potential 2024 presidential rematch.
The division and party are a drag on Biden's job approval rating, too, which remains in the low 40s at just 44%, according to the poll.
Those that disapprove of the job Biden has done are 93% in agreement he has been more divisive than a unifier. Similarly, those who view Biden unfavorably are 92% in agreement he has been more divisive.
Other data points suggesting his unity guides his approval and favorability ratings are the fact his highest numbers supporting him as a unifier are those who view him "very favorably" (82%) and those who "strongly approve" of the job he is doing (83%). No other figures come close.
The poll also found 66% of registered voters say the country is on the wrong track and a plurality say the economy — which revealed 7% inflation Wednesday — is the top concern. Also, 54% disapprove for Biden's handling of the economy.
Morning Consult conducted the polling for Politico among 2,000 registered voters Jan. 8-9 days before Biden gave a speech calling for the Senate to drop the filibuster to pass partisan election reform with just Democrat votes in the 50-50 Senate. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points.