Majority of voters ‘hopeful’ in aftermath of elections but political divide persists: poll
A majority of voters now say they are feeling “hopeful” about the state of the U.S. in the aftermath of the presidential elections, a new national survey shows, but the surge in hope is predominantly among supporters of President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr.
The Pew Research survey of U.S. adults, conducted Nov. 12 -17, shows that 56% of voters now feel hopeful about the state of the nation compared to 47% who felt this way in June.
When broken down along political lines, supporters of Biden were found to be much more hopeful than supporters of incumbent President Donald Trump. Some 72% of Biden supporters said they are hopeful about the country, compared with 42% in June.
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Among supporters of President Trump, however, only 39% said they feel hopeful about the state of the nation reflecting a drop of 14% from the 53% majority who felt hopeful in June.
The distribution of hope among voters by age also revealed an interesting dynamic. While voters 65 and older were more likely than those in other age groups to be hopeful about the country among Biden supporters, it was the younger supporters of Trump, those under 35, who were somewhat more likely than others to say they are hopeful about the state of the country.
The survey results came amid ongoing disputes about the Nov. 3 election, which Trump has not formally conceded.
In a series of tweets on Monday, Trump said he recommended that U.S. General Services Administrator Emily W. Murphy as well as his team at the White House begin “initial protocols” for the formal transition to the administration of Biden “in the best interest of our country.”
“I want to thank Emily Murphy at GSA for her steadfast dedication and loyalty to our Country. She has been harassed, threatened, and abused – and I do not want to see this happen to her, her family, or employees of GSA,” he said. “Our case STRONGLY continues, we will keep up the good .fight, and I believe we will prevail! Nevertheless, in the best interest of our country, I am recommending that Emily and her team do what needs to be done with regard to initial protocols, and have told my team to do the same.”
Murphy said in a letter to Biden Monday that she authorized the start of the formal transition process due to “recent developments involving legal challenges and certifications of election results.”
Responding to Murphy’s decision, Yohannes Abraham, executive director of Biden’s transition, called it “a needed step to begin tackling the challenges facing our nation.”
“The GSA Administrator has ascertained President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris as the apparent winners of the election, proving the incoming Administration with the resources and support necessary to carry out a smooth and peaceful transition of power,” Abraham wrote.
“In the days ahead, transition officials will begin meeting with federal officials to discuss the pandemic response, have a full accounting of our national security interests, and gain complete understanding of the Trump administration’s efforts to hollow out government agencies.”
