Our research below provides messaging guidance for progressives to win key policy debates.
Independents, people of color and older Americans give Trump low marks for his handling of the pandemic at a time when perception of the economy reaches new lows in our daily tracking and protests are doing little to sway overall public opinion on social distancing.
Americans continue to trust state and local governments more than Trump; the public reports more comfortability interacting with friends if the country reopens soon rather than going to restaurants or large gatherings.
Americans support safely opening the government over reopening prematurely; more than two-thirds agree that fixing the health crisis is the key to restarting the economy.
Americans support governors when it comes to stay-at-home orders instead of those protesting social distancing measures; Trump’s approval continues to decline as Americans worry about an economic recession.
Ratings of how Trump is handling the pandemic decline with fewer Americans viewing him as “serious” in his response, and most Americans continuing to prefer social distancing despite recent protests.
Trump’s approval ratings continue to drop as the share of Americans who know someone sick with coronavirus continues to grow. Most Americans support continued social distancing and believe life won’t return to normal for several months or more.
Trump’s approval rating on coronavirus remains negative as Americans report that they trust the CDC, Dr. Fauci, and the WHO the most to tell the truth about the pandemic.
As the public reports serious concerns about the economy and loved ones getting sick from coronavirus, Americans across party lines trust Dr. Fauci to tell the truth when it comes to the pandemic.
More than 20% of Americans know someone who has been infected with coronavirus and a vast majority still support current social distancing measures or want more aggressive measures.
Few support efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act, while Americans continue to be most concerned about Trump’s early inaction on the pandemic.
Trump’s approval rating on handling coronavirus trails ratings of America’s governors on the crisis; while many want Trump to focus on helping the middle and working classes, most feel his policies favor the wealthy and big corporations.
While Trump’s overall approval rating declines, Democrats hold advantages over Trump on key issues relating to the pandemic. More Americans now describe Trump as “unprepared” and fewer call him “honest.”
Trump’s early missteps and unpreparedness on coronavirus remain top of mind for Americans, as the president’s modest bump in approval fades.
As many tune in to watch President Trump’s press conferences, the public continues to report concerns over his handling of the pandemic and want stronger action to assist medical professionals.
Americans report concerns about Trump’s chaotic handling of the pandemic; support for social distancing is robust and the public strongly opposes Trump’s proposal to end it anytime soon.