Joe Biden’s approval ratings are more polarised than Donald Trump’s

JOE BIDEN has staked his presidency on unifying America. “It’s time for us, for we the people, to come together,” he said at the start of his acceptance speech to the Democratic National Convention in August 2020. “United we can, and will, overcome this season of darkness in America.” After being declared the winner of the election in November, he repeated his goal, pledging “to be a president who seeks not to divide but unify, who doesn’t see red states and blue states, only sees the United States.”

Mr Biden has already found that party politics will be a formidable obstacle. One of his first objectives is to pass an emergency covid-19 spending bill. According to a survey by Quinnipiac University, 68% of Americans support the Democrats’ proposed stimulus of $1.9trn. As many as 78% are in favour of sending $1,400 cheques to most people. But congressional Republicans want a much smaller package of around $600bn. (The Economist suggests the best figure is somewhere in the middle.)