It looks like Trump’s lackadaisical responses to the the spread of COVID-19, and his “let them eat cake” attitude in mitigating the pandemic’s economic repercussions, is taking a heavy toll on Trump’s approval. And Trump’s constant preposterous attacks an Mail-in Voting can’t be helping his case.
Most Americans think there isn’t enough being done to help individual Americans, small businesses or public schools as the pandemic stretches on, according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Overall, just 31% of Americans approve of Trump’s leadership on the pandemic, a significant drop from 44% approval in March, when the virus began sweeping through the United States.
Yet Trump has shown little willingness to acknowledge that a course correction of any kind is needed. He’s repeatedly cast the virus as all but defeated, even when cases were sharply increasing, including in states he needs to win in November.
The president heads into his four-night nominating convention with an overall approval rating of 35%. That’s down from 43% in March but still within range of where Trump has been for much of his presidency. Where he falls within that range as Election Day nears could make a difference to his reelection prospects.
His support continues to be driven overwhelmingly by Republicans, with 79% approving of his job performance compared with just 5% of Democrats.
Trump must also contend with Americans’ persistently negative view of the country’s direction as he asks voters to stay the course instead of handing the reins over to Biden. The AP-NORC poll finds that just 23% think the country is heading in the right direction, while 75% think it’s on the wrong path.
The Congress got a very low approval rating too. Did Moscow Mitch and his corrupt Republican Senate Caucus have something to do with that? I suspect it did.
The lack of action on Capitol Hill appears to have contributed to Congress’ sinking approval rating. Just 13% of Americans approve of the job Congress is doing during the pandemic, down from 31% in March. The federal government as a whole has also taken a hit with the public, with approval down from 38% in March to 23% now.
Running the Federal Government to please Donald Trump’s whims isn’t popular with the American public.
The August 2020 AP-NORC Center Poll pdf
