Poll: Most Voters Think Democrats Ran Economy ‘Straight Into the Ground’

A majority of likely voters believe Democrats are responsible for plunging the United States into a recession, a Rasmussen Reports poll released on Wednesday found.  

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said in late July that “Democrats inherited an economy that was primed for an historic comeback, and promptly ran it straight into the ground.” Out of 1,000 likely voters surveyed between July 28-31, 59 percent say they agree with McConnell’s statement and 35 percent disagree. The margin of sampling error is ± 3 percentage points with a 95 percent level of confidence.

“As might be expected, 85 percent of Republicans at least somewhat agree that Democrats “ran [the economy] straight into the ground,” as do a majority (57 percent) of unaffiliated voters. However, even 38% of Democratic voters agree with the quote from McConnell, including 23% who Strongly Agree,” according to the poll report. 

Most likely voters (62 percent) think the United States economy is in a recession, even as the White House and its Big Tech allies attempt to redefine the term. Less than a quarter (23 percent) believe the United States economy is not in a recession, and 15 percent are unsure. 

President Joe Biden’s recession denial has done little to quell concern in his own party, with nearly half (47 percent) of Democrats also saying they believe the economy is in a recession. However, Biden’s strongest supporters are most likely to think there is no recession (58 percent). Unsurprisingly, Republicans (83 percent) and voters who “strongly disapprove of Biden’s performance” (89 percent) are more likely to believe there is a recession. Fifty-seven percent of unaffiliated voters agree.

An overwhelming majority (91 percent) think the economy and inflation will be important in the 2022 congressional elections, a result mirrored in various other surveys. Among those who say the economy will be crucial in the upcoming elections, 61 percent “strongly agree” with McConnell’s condemnation of Democrats.

Higher earners (annual income of over $200,000) agree that the economy will take center stage in the upcoming elections, even though they “often side with Democrats on cultural issues…,” Rasmussen Reports noted. Upper-income voters are also most likely to “strongly agree” with McConnell that Democrats “ran [the economy] straight into the ground.”