Fox News poll shows voters aren't buying the GOP's attacks on Biden

A new Fox News poll released Wednesday shows congressional Republicans are way out of step with the American public. Months of GOP attacks on the President Joe Biden, his economic policies, and COVID-19 safety requirements have failed to sway most of the American public.

Conducted between Aug. 7 and Aug. 10, the poll surveyed 1,002 registered voters. It found majority support for Biden and his proposed economic investments.

By a 53%-46% majority, voters said they approve of the job Biden is doing as president, much better than any Fox News poll approval rating for Donald Trump over his single term as president.

Asked about the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the bipartisan plan to invest $550 billion in transportation, broadband, electrical, and water system infrastructure that passed in the Senate on Tuesday, 62% said they favor the package, while 30% said they opposed.

Asked about Democrats’ $3.5 trillion plan to “address climate change, healthcare and childcare,” 56% backed that as well, while 38% did not.

Most Senate Republicans voted against the bipartisan infrastructure package, and not one of them backed the budget resolution, the first step toward passing the $3.5 trillion spending package, though previous polling had also shown both measures to be broadly popular.

Across the country, Republicans have also pushed to prohibit governments and businesses from instituting requirements that people get COVID-19 vaccines or wear masks to curb transmission of the coronavirus in schools and indoor workplaces.

But the Fox News poll shows the public backs both.

Asked, “Do you favor or oppose cities and towns requiring all workers and customers to have proof of a coronavirus vaccine for indoor activities such as restaurants, gyms, and performances,” 50% said they favored them and 46% said they opposed them.

By a 50%-47% margin, they also said that it was more important to protect “the safety of Americans by requiring the vaccine to participate in everyday activities” than “the freedom of Americans to choose whether or not to get vaccinated.”

A majority of 54% said that schools and school districts should be free to require masks or proof of vaccination for in-person learning; 31% said they should not be.

Just 36% of those surveyed supported the idea that their local public schools should “reopen fully in-person as usual” this fall without requiring masks or social distancing.

Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.