Americans disapprove of Biden immigration, transgender actions: poll

A majority of Americans disapprove of President Biden’s executive orders on immigration and transgender athletes participating in women’s sports — his least popular actions since taking office, according to a new poll.

The poll conducted in late February by Harvard University and Harris Insights and Analytics found 55 percent disapprove of Biden’s executive order to “[r]equire schools to let biological boys who identify as girls to participate in girls sports, and vice versa.”

It was tied for least popular of choices offered in the poll order when responses were weighted to reflect national US demographics.

Also lagging, with 55 percent disapproval, was Biden’s decision to “[r]educe the deportation of those here illegally who have committed crimes such as DUIs that are not national security related.”

Biden’s decision to kill the Keystone XL oil pipeline from Canada, criticized for eliminating thousands of jobs, had 53 percent disapproval.

There was 50 percent disapproval for Biden’s repeal of a travel ban that the Trump administration said targeted countries that are failed or fragile states or beset by terrorism, including Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen.

Forty-seven percent disapproved of Biden ending construction of Trump’s Mexico border wall.

The poll identified other soft spots for Democrats, who now control both chambers of Congress and the White House, and underscore the potential political wisdom of Republicans focusing on so-called “cancel culture.”

According to the poll, 64 percent believe that the Jan. 6 Capitol riot is “being used by politicians to suppress legitimate political movements” — the same percentage that agreed “there is a growing cancel culture that is a threat to our freedom.”

But the poll also revealed positive news for Democrats who are ramming a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 stimulus bill through Congress without Republican support.

The poll found 73 percent support for the package, though 46 percent were worried that the bill is wasteful, as Republicans allege, and 48 percent said they fear it will cause inflation.