Americans Back Afghan Pullout But Question Its Execution: Poll

Americans overwhelmingly support President Biden’s decision to end the war in Afghanistan, but by a 2-to-1 margin, they disapprove of how he handled the chaotic and ultimately deadly withdrawal that included the evacuation of several thousand US citizens and tens of thousands of Afghans, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll.

Photo Insert: President Joe Biden, First Lady Jill Biden, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and other White House and DoD officials look on as the caskets of the US soldiers who were killed in the latest Kabul bombing are unloaded from the Air Force transport.

The Afghanistan withdrawal has contributed to a drop in Biden’s overall approval rating, which for the first time in his presidency is net negative. The poll finds 44 percent saying they approve of how he is handling his job, while 51 percent disapprove.

In late June, the numbers were almost reversed, with 50 percent supporting and 42 percent disapproving, Washington Post said.

For years, polls have shown growing weariness among Americans over the long war in Afghanistan, which began in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and has since cost the United States roughly $2 trillion and the lives of 2,461 military personnel.

That contributes to the popularity of Biden’s decision to end it. The new Post-ABC poll shows 77 percent of Americans saying they support the decision to withdraw all US forces. Support crosses party lines, with 88 percent of Democrats, 74 percent of Republicans, and 76 percent of independents aligned behind the decision.

But the widespread support for the departure falls apart when it comes to views of how the departure unfolded, including the deaths of 13 members of the military who were helping refugees at the airport in Kabul.

Roughly half of all adults (52 percent) say they support getting out of Afghanistan but nonetheless disapprove of how Biden handled it, while a quarter (26 percent) support both the withdrawal decision and Biden’s handling of it.

Another 17 percent disapprove of the decision to end the war, while 6 percent express no opinion.

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