ABC News/WaPo Poll: Trump approval at highest ever, majority approve of handling of pandemic

ABC News/WaPo Poll: Trump approval at highest ever, majority approve of handling of pandemic

Donald Trump’s approval, both in general and specifically as to the Wuhan coronavirus pandemic, has been surging, as reflected in a recent Gallup poll, Gallup: 60% Support Trump’s handling of pandemic, overall support surges to 49%.

As previously discussed this surge, and the role of Trump’s daily press briefings, has Democrats and the media in a panic, Rachel Maddow and others call on networks not to broadcast Trump coronavirus press conferences

Now there is more evidence of Trump’s surge, via a Washington Post / ABC News poll. But you wouldn’t know it from the headlines, each of which focuses on people’s fears:

WAPO: Poll finds universal lifestyle changes, rising stress and growing fears about catching coronavirus

ABC News: Coronavirus impacts: Disrupted lives, elevated stress, and soaring worry: Poll

But look beyond the headline, and you will find Trump’s polling surge, though WaPo goes out of its way to downplay it:

On the political front, President Trump narrowly wins approval for his handling of the outbreak, and his overall approval rating has grown five percentage points since February, to 48 percent, even as most Americans say he was too slow to take action in the early days of the virus’s spread. The rise in Trump’s approval rating, however, is far smaller than some other presidents have experienced in times of national crisis….

ABC News is less biased in its presentation:

In the political arena, President Donald Trump’s overall job approval rating advanced to his best on record in ABC/Post polls, 48%, even as 58% say he acted too slowly in the early days of the outbreak. This is the first time since he took office that Trump’s approval rating has exceeded disapproval of his work, 46% (though the difference isn’t statistically significant).

Fifty-one percent approve specifically of Trump’s handling of the outbreak; 45% don’t….

That said, there are substantial risks to the president. Trump’s overall approval rating drops among people who are more worried about catching the coronavirus, report severe local economic impacts, say their lives have been especially disrupted or know someone who’s caught the virus. He also has lower approval in states with higher per-capita infection rates.

They don’t give a state-by-state breakdown, but it’s reasonable to assume that the lower approval ratings are in large deep blue states like New York and California which also have the greatest virus problems.

ABC News also mentions this significant finding (emphasis added):

Trump’s 51-45% rating specifically for handling the coronavirus crisis finds approval 10 points higher than in a CNN poll three weeks ago. That said, many more, 66%, express confidence in the federal government’s ability to handle the outbreak; that includes just 26% who are very confident.

Expect calls for the networks not to broadcast Trump’s press briefings to grow.

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