Most Americans Agree With US Exit From Afghanistan Even If Pullout Was Mishandled - Poll

A majority of US adults approve of the US departure from Afghanistan, although the public remains divided over the Biden administration's management of the withdrawal, a Monmouth University poll said on Thursday

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 16th September, 2021) A majority of US adults approve of the US departure from Afghanistan, although the public remains divided over the Biden administration's management of the withdrawal, a Monmouth University poll said on Thursday.

"Two-thirds of Americans (66%) approve of the decision to withdraw the US presence in Afghanistan. Just 27% disapprove," a press release explaining the poll said.

Approval for the pullout, regardless of how the actual exit was handled, comes from about 3 in 4 Democrats (76%) and independents (72%) but just under half of Republicans (47%), the release said.

At the same time, Americans are divided over how the US managed the withdraw, with 48% saying President Joe Biden seriously mishandled the departure of US forces and 49% saying Biden did the best he could in a bad situation, the release added.

"Most Americans approve of ending the war in Afghanistan, but the images of a disorderly withdrawal did not help Biden at a time when the rise in Covid cases is already unsettling the public," Monmouth Polling director Patrick Murray said in the release.

The poll found a dip in public sentiment that the country is heading in the right direction 29%, compared with 65% who say the US is on the wrong track, the release said.

In April, the right direction rating hit an eight-year high of 46% but has declined since then, with a July reading of 38%.

Biden'S overall job approval rating stood at 46% with 46% disapproval in the Monmouth poll of 802 adults, which was conducted from September 9 to 13, according to the release.