Two-thirds of Americans think Trump acted too slowly against Covid-19, 68% distrust his words on outbreak: Poll
President Donald Trump’s path to secure a second term has turned tougher with the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic and following the recent revelations made by Bob Woodward’s new book, the challenge has become even steeper. A new survey from ABC News/Ipsos has found that just 35 percent of Americans approve of the incumbent’s handling of the pandemic which has affected more than 6.5 million people and claimed over 194,000 lives.
According to the poll, two-thirds of the country’s people (67 percent) are of the opinion that Trump acted too slowly in responding to the pandemic’s outbreak. Only 31 percent backed his response while an appalling one percent felt he moved too quickly.
Majority distrust Trump on Covid-19
68 percent of the Americans also said that they did not believe what Trump said about the pandemic. They were also split on trusting Trump’s opponent Joe Biden on the pandemic (51 percent trust him well while 49 percent do not).
The president, however, has continued to back himself over his response to the pandemic. On Sunday, September 13, he tweeted saying the numbers were “falling very steadily and fast.” He wrote, “Deaths and hospitalizations way down, and even cases down despite far more Testing than any other country in the World, by far. India second!”
Actually falling very steadily and fast. Deaths and hospitalizations way down, and even cases down despite far more Testing than any other country in the World, by far. India second! https://t.co/dZQEh2F7Cf
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 13, 2020
India, the second-most populous nation in the world, has seen more than 4.7 million cases with a death tally of 78,000 plus. Brazil is at No. 3 with 4.3 million but a higher death toll of more than 131,000.
The latest rating of Trump over the handling of the crisis that has also left the economy in turmoil is similar to that seen in early July. Then, he received a 33 percent approval rate, 22 points less than his highest mark which was 55 registered on March 20.
Party-wise take on Trump's Covid-19 response
94 percent of the Democrats felt Trump moved too slowly in dealing with the pandemic while it was only 28 percent in case of the GOP. Among the Independents, it is 70 percent. Seventy-four percent of the Republicans, on the other hand, trusted Trump’s words on the pandemic (either a lot or a great deal) while in the case of Biden, it was 10 percent. The former vice president, however, got the backing of 85 percent of the Democrats while Trump got the support of only seven percent of the blue party. Fifty-two percent of the Independents backed Biden as against 26 percent who favored Trump. Overall, 51 percent of the Americans trusted Biden while only 31 percent threw their weight behind the former veep.
It is believed that the bombshell revelations of Woodward’s book have influenced the outcome of the latest poll which was conducted on Friday and Saturday. The veteran Watergate journalist said in his book that Trump told him about having prior knowledge about the pandemic but still played it down because he did not want people to panic.
On September 9, Woodward, whose new book on the Trump presidency titled ‘Rage’ will be released soon, revealed that Trump knew weeks before the first death from the virus in the US that it was dangerous and highly contagious. But he still played it down. As per the revelations, the president told Woodward in February that it was “deadly stuff.” In August, he told the journalist: “Nothing more could have been done.”