What are Americans saying in the leadup to the State of the Union? It’s not looking great for either party, according to a new ABC News poll:

• There’s no confidence in Democratic or Republican leadership. Sixty-eight percent express just some or no confidence in Biden to make the right decisions for the country’s future, while 71% lack confidence in McCarthy’s leadership and 72% in his Republican party.

• More Americans feel worse off since Biden took office. Forty-one percent say they’ve gotten worse off since Biden took office, a high in polling going back 37 years.

• Biden is given little credit for his accomplishments. Just 36% of Americans think Biden has accomplished a great deal or a good amount as president, while 62% say he’s accomplished not very much or nothing. 
  • Jobs. Despite record low unemployment, 60% say Biden has not made progress creating more good jobs in their community.
  • Infrastructure. Sixty percent say Biden has not made progress improving roads and bridges in their community.
  • Prescription drugs. Forty-seven percent say Biden has not made progress in lowering prescription drug costs, with 23% unsure.

• Americans want discussions of spending and the debt limit separated. In a win for Biden, 26% support Republicans’ position that Congress should allow the government to pay its debts only if the administration agrees to cut federal spending. Sixty-five percent support Biden’s view that the issues of debt payment and federal spending should be handled separately. Even among Republicans, fewer than half – 48% – support coupling debt payment with cuts in federal spending. That drops to 22% among independents and 10% of Democrats.

• Ukraine support is still high but dropping. Six in 10 say the United States is doing the right amount (40%) or too little (19%, down from 37% as weapons shipments have soared). But the number who say the United States is doing “too much” to assist Ukraine has doubled from 14% last spring to 33% today.