Even before President Trump floated the idea Saturday of a regional quarantine around New York City, the public signaled support for a national “shutdown” and continued to back his leadership on fighting the coronavirus, according to the latest survey on the crisis.
A majority, 52%, support a “full national shutdown” that would require everyone but essential workers to stay at home, according to McLaughlin & Associates. “Sentiment for a national shutdown prevailed over every region of the country,” said the firm, which also polls for the president’s campaign.
The support is broad, despite rejections by the administration of a national quarantine. “In urban areas they favor shutdown 52%-40%; suburban areas 49%-41% and in small town/rural areas 57%-30%. Voters under 55 years old preferred the shutdown 55%-38% and voters over 55 years preference for shut down fell to 47%-39%,” said the analysis.
Voters also support Trump’s actions so far. The McLaughlin poll is the latest of several that show the public believes Trump is handling the crisis well. The Washington Post today found that voters, 47%-43%, trust Trump more than 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden to “handle” the crisis.
The survey, which appeared in Newsmax, found that voters overall approve of the president’s virus job. Not only do 53% support it, but so do 44% of Hispanics, 34% of African Americans, and 55% in battleground states.
And that has apparently spread to his overall job approval rating, now at 49% who approve to 50% who disapprove.
McLaughlin noted that the president’s job approval rating has popped to 51% in 2020 battleground states and that his approval rating among blacks has surged from 8% to 23%.
What’s more, the White House war on the virus and Trump’s effort to reform and update how the bureaucracy is responding has fed support for changing Washington. Said the analysis:
“The current coronavirus national emergency is renewing support for President Trump’s message to change Washington. The number of voters who want the president to continue to fight to change Washington has increased to 56% saying yes vs. only 32% who say no. Republicans give the president near unanimous support for changing Washington 90%-5%. Independents want change 50%-32%, and 28% of the Democrats support change. Among Hispanic voters 43% want change and among African American voters 35% want the president to change Washington.”
