Majority Of Republicans Believe US Is Better Now Than Four Years Ago, Poll Says

Ahead of the Republican National Convention, new polls show a majority of Republicans believe the U.S. is in better shape now than it was four years ago, despite the nation grappling with a pandemic and economic crisis. A CBS News survey of registered Republican voters shows 75% of them believe the U.S. is better off than it was in 2016.

The poll reveals that 82% of GOP voters believe President Donald Trump’s leadership has made the country better off. Another 70% said the national economy was the reason why the U.S. is doing better, with 64% citing their family’s finances as the reason why they believe the national situation has improved.

The unemployment rate is at 10.2%. In the second quarter, U.S. output fell at an annualized rate of 32.9% -- the sharpest contraction in the country's history.

The poll also showed that 57% of Republicans say the U.S. death toll for COVID-19 was "acceptable." According to data from Johns Hopkins University, the U.S. death toll is over 177,000, as of Monday evening.

As the convention kicks off Monday evening, Trump said the event will be “uplifting and positive.” Trump has criticized the Democratic National Convention for being the "gloomiest" in history.

Democrats hold vastly different views of how the nation is doing under Trump and have promoted nominee Joe Biden as a change from Trump’s “chaotic” presidency. Although most Republicans feel optimistic about the country, 65% of all registered voters believe the U.S. is not doing better than it was four years ago, the poll says.

Former President Barack Obama criticized the state of the nation under Trump during his DNC address last week.

“Donald Trump hasn't grown into the job because he can't. And the consequences of that failure are severe. 170,000 Americans dead. Millions of jobs gone while those at the top take in more than ever. Our worst impulses unleashed, our proud reputation around the world badly diminished, and our democratic institutions threatened like never before,” Obama said in the address.

Trump’s responses to the COVID-19 pandemic and his handling of race relations after the death of George Floyd in May have generated controversy. A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll shows 66% of Americans believe the country is on the wrong track, while the latest Politico/Morning Consult poll shows that 74% of Americans believe the country is on the wrong track.