Biden speech: Are Americans happy with Biden's first 100 days?

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Roizman, Batson and Sullivan

As President Joe Biden wraps up the first 100 days of his term, many public opinion polls show he has the support of a majority of the American public.

Supporters have praised his efforts to combat the pandemic with a massive economic relief package and a speedy vaccine rollout.

Others say the Democrat has shown little interest in garnering Republican support on his proposals.

Mr Biden's performance report may guide how he governs in the rest of his term.

Three voters - a Democrat, a Republican and an independent - shared their thoughts with the BBC as the president reached the symbolic 100 day mark.

A soon-to-be college graduate, Josh, a Democrat, voted for Joe Biden because he wanted an experienced politician in charge who was willing to compromise to get things done.

Has Biden delivered?

I'm very impressed. The biggest thing is the vaccine rollout. Here in California, if you want a vaccine, you can go out and get it. I was very satisfied with the speed with which it was done logistically and the messaging from the federal government.

Right now, the momentum is going his way. Vaccines are getting through and people are getting their stimulus cheques, so I'm seeing a lot of hope. I'm really hoping to see him lead us out of the pandemic.

What was the most consequential action of Biden's first 100 days?

Recognising the Armenian genocide was big. Coming from a Jewish background, the Holocaust is top of mind and we are able to recognise it through Holocaust Day and museums. But for my Armenian brothers and friends, the atrocities were never recognised by the United States until now.

What hopes or concerns do you have for the rest of his term?

One reason I really wanted him in office was because he had experience working across the aisle with Republicans.

I thought he could pass legislation with bipartisan consensus, but he's not getting Republican votes on the stuff that he's pushing through. From adding a seat to the Supreme Court to getting rid of the filibuster, those are things that need bipartisan agreement and you can't just shove through.

Lesley is a self-employed financial advisor, Canadian immigrant and registered independent who voted for Joe Biden because she hoped he would get Covid under control and work with global allies.

Has Biden delivered?

I think he's accomplished a lot. He prioritised trying to get Covid under control and get people vaccinated. They didn't have a whole lot of cooperation from the previous administration so I really do commend him on what he's been able to do in a short time.

The other thing is they were able to get additional stimulus money passed to address the people who really had needs.

What was the most consequential action of Biden's first 100 days?

On his very first day, he signed a bunch of executive orders. One of them had to do with anti-Asian hate. One of them was getting back into the Paris climate accord.

For four years prior, we had somebody in leadership who really didn't work for the people. I'm just grateful to have someone who can try to steer the ship back in the direction we need to be going.

What hopes or concerns do you have for the rest of his term?

I hope this administration will take some serious actions on police reform. "Abolish the police" does not in itself make sense, but there needs to be police reform. And I really hope it's a bipartisan step forward.

My main concern is that there's so much work to be done I don't know how they prioritise what to do first. It's beyond cleaning up after the last administration. I hope all Americans will give Biden a fair chance.

A fiscal conservative who did not vote for Joe Biden, Jim is glad there's less drama in this White House but fears his concerns of a liberal overreach are coming true.

Has Biden delivered?

What he's done well is Covid vaccine administration. It has gone fairly smoothly and 200 million doses is in line with his promises.

The spending is a big concern. He's pushed through trillions of dollars in Covid relief and infrastructure spending which makes me fearful for the economy.

In the short term, there's a lot of money out there, but that's going to change over time. I am concerned about the kind of country we're going to leave behind for my kids and grandkids. It's big government on steroids.

What was the most consequential action of Biden's first 100 days?

The consequential thing is the contrast from the previous president. Biden is very lowkey, stays on message, and there is not a lot of drama. Stylistically, he's vastly different from Donald Trump.

But the most consequential thing in the first 100 days was probably the signing of the COVID relief bill. It put a lot of money into people's hands who needed it, and overall it rolled out fairly well.

What hopes or concerns do you have for the rest of his term?

Aside from the spending trend we're on, I'm concerned about the border crisis. I never believed the wall was an absolute necessity but, looking at what's going on down there, it seems almost out of control. Immigration is a big issue and I really don't see Biden addressing it.

I'm hopeful that he will genuinely try to work with Republicans and meet people halfway instead of going all the way to the left.

Media caption,

Has Biden unified the country? Watch as Americans weigh in.