More than half of Republicans now say the country is heading in the wrong direction, a new AP-NORC poll shows. The new survey conducted between Sept. 11 and Sept. 15 found that 51 percent of Republican voters say the country is heading in the wrong direction, up from 26 percent in March. What’s more, less than half of Republicans (49 percent) now say the country is heading in the right direction, down from 70 percent in June. Republican women and individuals under 45 are more likely to say that America is not on the right track. Overall, Republicans mostly approve of how President Donald Trump is handling border security, crime, and immigration. Most adults believe that Trump has gone too far on tariffs, as well as using presidential power to achieve his goals, and deploying the National Guard in U.S. cities. The poll was conducted shortly after conservative activist Charlie Kirk was shot at Utah Valley University, an incident that has influenced MAGA rhetoric in the weeks since, with Trump blaming the “radical left” for the killing. “I’ve spent a lot of time worrying about the worsening political discourse and, now, the disturbing assassinations,” said Chris Bahr, a 42-year-old Republican from suburban Houston, according to The Associated Press. “We’re at each other’s throats,” Joclyn Yurchak, a 55-year-old warehouse worker from northeast Pennsylvania, said about the current state of the country. “This viciousness on both sides. We have villainized others, like we’re on the brink of social collapse. Is Kirk the straw that breaks the camel’s back or sets off a powder keg? It’s on everyone’s mind,” Yurchak added.
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