Beijing, 20 Jan (Xinhua) -- US President Joseph Biden has been in power for one full year on 20 January. In AFP's view, Biden has inherited a politically polarized, socially divided "American Divider." In office, he made numerous promises to voters: bridging the wounds of democracy, controlling the COVID-19 pandemic, reviving the economy, and addressing entrenched racial discrimination.
After the honeymoon period of about half a year, Biden's public approval rating has declined. The latest Quinnipiac University poll shows that only 33% is currently available.
So, how do ordinary Americans view biden's exploits in the past year in office?
On January 20, 2021, U.S. President-elect and Democrat Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th President of the United States at an inauguration ceremony on Capitol Hill in Washington. (Photo by Xinhua news agency reporter Liu Jie)
"United America" vs." Couldn't have been more discouraged"
Rafi Jacobson, 18, a resident of New York City, New York, has run for several Democratic left-wing candidates. On Biden's inauguration day, he felt it was "an important moment to look forward to."
In his inaugural address, Biden promised to pour "his whole soul" into "uniting America and uniting our people." A year later, however, Jacobson "never felt so discouraged or disillusioned with the current state of electoral politics."
The Biden administration has introduced a $1.9 trillion economic bailout program and a $1 trillion infrastructure investment bill, but a package of financial aid to tackle climate change and expand social welfare spending, as well as a bill designed to protect minorities from restricted voting rights, have all been blocked in Congress. Jacobson complained that "Democrats didn't actually pass any of the [policies] they promised during their campaign."
On April 20, 2021, people held signs holding "guilty" gathered near a courtroom in Minneapolis, Minnesota, UNITED States. On the same day, the case of Drake Shawan, a former white police officer in the United States, who was accused of killing George Floyd, an African-American man, was pronounced in Minneapolis. (Xinhua News Agency, photo by Ben Brewer)
"Racial Equality" vs." Somewhat bitter."
CodRantham, 33, African American, tour guide in Tulsa, Oklahoma. A few months after taking office, Biden visited the city and became the first U.S. president to attend a commemoration of the genocide in Tulsa. "At that time, many of us were excited about his arrival." Lantham said.
From May 31 to June 1, 1921, white mobs attacked and set fire to the black community of Greenwood in Tulsa, killing some 300 blacks and leaving 10,000 black residents homeless. The bustling "Black Wall Street" was destroyed. Biden gave a speech and unveiled a plan to promote racial equality and narrow the gap between rich and poor across the United States.
However, looking back on Biden's visit now, Lantham's heart has become bitter. He lamented that it was nothing more than "a political move" and that Biden lacked practical action in promoting racial equality.
Migrants trying to travel north to the United States walk down a highway in Puebla, Mexico, on Dec. 9, 2021. (Xinhua News Agency, photo by Carlos Pacheco)
"Admitting Immigrants" vs. Say more than do."
Adriana Yasho, 47, works for a religious group in San Diego, California, helping to resettle illegal immigrants. "We used to want to see a lot (change)," she said. ”
Standing in front of the towering "wall" on the U.S.-Mexico border, Asho told AFP that Biden made various promises on immigration, including lifting some of the harsh restrictions imposed by former President Donald Trump when he took office, but those promises were not fulfilled.
Biden took office to rescind a number of Trump administration executive orders restricting the entry of illegal immigrants and quickly submitted a comprehensive immigration reform bill to Congress, but could not rebuild the paralyzed immigration acceptance system in the short term.
However, in the view of Yashao, who smuggled into the United States as a teenager and later obtained legal status, the status quo is slightly better than during the Trump era, "In the past year, we have experienced a certain degree of recuperation."
A customer refuels at a gas station in New York, U.S., on Jan. 12. The U.S. Department of Labor released data on the same day that the U.S. Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 0.5% month-on-month and 7% year-on-year in December 2021, the largest year-on-year increase since June 1982, highlighting the continued rise in U.S. inflationary pressures. (Photo by Xinhua news agency reporter Wang Ying)
"Reviving the Economy" vs." Destroy the economy"
Uvaldo Miranda, 57, physician in Miami, Florida. Like many Americans who miss the Trump administration, Miranda is convinced that Biden destroyed the achievements of his predecessors, especially in the economic sphere.
"He's not fixing it, he's destroying and destroying the country's economy," Miranda said in an interview with AFP outside a Cuban-inspired restaurant. Republican activists in Florida often meet here. "I think our country is in the worst position in history."
Biden's year saw record stock and job growth, with unemployment falling to 3.9 percent, but inflation reached 7 percent in December, the highest level in nearly 40 years. In previous months, Biden's economic advisers had insisted that higher inflation was only temporary, underestimating the severity. The Republican Party has decided that Biden should be held accountable.
Miranda said inflation has become the biggest concern for American families.
On January 6, 2021, during a joint meeting of the Senate and House of Representatives of the U.S. Congress to certify the results of the election, some violent demonstrators stormed the Capitol. (Photo by Xinhua news agency reporter Liu Jie)
Conspiracy theories prevail: "Not our president"
Jane Goode, a 59-year-old citizen of Boston, Massachusetts, has so far believed that "the results of the election were stolen" and that "Democrats used the pandemic to manipulate the election." However, she did not provide any basis in support of that assertion.
Multiple polls show that more than half of conservative voters still believe that Biden is not a legitimate president, convinced that there are "conspiracy theories" such as serious fraud in the 2020 presidential election.
Like many Americans, Goode doesn't trust the mainstream media, believing that the only reports worth watching are "weather or sports news."
Goode also opposed Biden's anti-epidemic measures and refused to be vaccinated against COVID-19. In her view, Biden said that "people who don't get vaccinated are the problem" and that this practice "divides the people ... creating a divide".
On December 31, 2021, people attended a New Year's Eve celebration in Times Square, NEW York. Due to the surge in confirmed cases caused by the mutated new crown virus Olmi kerong strain, spectators attending the New Year's Eve celebration must comply with epidemic prevention regulations such as wearing masks and fully vaccinating. (Photo by Xinhua news agency reporter Wang Ying)
Political polarization "sinks": neighbors must also be cautious
Melali Whit, 37, Utah Mormon, Biden supporter. "I think it would be worse if Trump was re-elected."
"So I don't think Joseph Biden necessarily brings us together, but I think he prevents the situation from getting worse."
According to Agence France-Presse, over the past year, the united states have repeatedly appeared across the country, especially in Republican-run states, caused by school professors criticizing racist content, such as mandatory wearing of masks, new crown epidemic prevention measures, but also caused protests, boycotts and even local government obstruction.
Whitt believes this nationwide polarization "has slowly sunk and even emerged in our local communities." Her parishioners now talk about topics that "must be careful," for fear of triggering contradictions.
On December 14, 2021, Senate Democratic Leader Schumer spoke at a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. (Xinhua News Agency, photo by Shen Ting)
"Basic disk" dissatisfaction: "It's time to fight back"
Jamie Manson, 44, president of the Catholic Association for Free Choice, supports abortion rights. She and some Americans believe that perhaps it is time to "fight back" instead of "reconciling."
Since Biden took office, Manson said, Republican states have added a number of new laws restricting abortion, transgender rights and minority voting methods, but Biden has not reacted strongly.
"Right now, left-wing supporters as a whole are frustrated by Biden's performance," she said, "because he always says how democracy is in danger... We are waiting for him to take bold action, but we have not seen it yet. ”
Manson chafed and said Democrats were "too weak, too afraid to offend people, to walk on thin ice." However, "being moderate, timid and cowardly, doesn't allow them to get the energy they need from the basic disk." So I think it's time to take some risks." (Hu Ruoyu)