A majority of voters continue to approve of President Trump despite a media onslaught driven by the rise in deaths from the coronavirus, according to a new national survey provided to Secrets.
In the latest Zogby Analytics survey, 51% approve of Trump’s job, while 47% do not. A 51% approval rating is considered the level needed for reelection.
And while the survey found that the public isn’t ready to blame the president for the mounting virus crisis, his handling of the issue is under water slightly: 48% approve, and 52% disapprove.
“There is no doubt there have been major mishaps from the federal government, such as, a lack of testing kits and getting needed medical supplies to ‘hotspots’ in NYC and New Jersey, but the public isn’t ready yet to completely blame Trump for the federal government’s failures,” said the survey analysis from Jonathan Zogby.
His poll and analysis suggested that while the public may not be keen on Trump’s argumentative nature or his hits on the media during his daily coronavirus task force briefings, many, and especially his base, see him as the leader in the war.
“It might make the mainstream media and his detractors scream, but to his supporters and almost half the country, he is producing results,” said Zogby.
What’s more, he said that Trump is winning respect for his efforts to focus on getting the economy back in business while he and his administration fight the spread of the virus.
“He is also speaking honestly when he says we cannot stay in lockdown forever. It might not be what we ultimately do, or the right thing, but he’s being honest that life will have to go back to a semblance of normality in the future. It might not be reality but it’s comforting to some people in this moment of unpredictability,” said the analysis.
Zogby found approval of Trump among middle-age voters, Catholics, those in small towns, those without college degrees, and millennials and Generation Z members.
But he continues to lag among suburbanites and independents.
Still, Trump’s support among black voters is getting better. “Trump’s numbers continue to improve with African American voters; his current job approval rating is 36% at least somewhat approve/63% at least somewhat disapprove,” said the survey.
Zogby’s bottom line:
