President Trump’s response to the coronavirus pandemic is costing him voters in states he needs to secure his reelection, a new survey finds.
According to a CNBC/Change Research poll released Wednesday, Joe Biden is extending his lead over Trump in the states of Arizona, Florida, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
Trump’s problems there are likely the direct result in the new surge of coronavirus cases sweeping the country, with 35% of all likely voters asked in those states blaming him more than anything else. And 34% say the cases are due to people not wearing masks, while 32% blame states reopening economies too soon.
And 55% of those polled say the president’s pressure on states to reopen their economies is because he’s concerned about his reelection chances and not public safety with another 57% of voters disagreeing with the statement that his administration is providing accurate information on how to best avoid the spread of the virus.
At the individual state level, the president’s numbers don’t fare much better. In Arizona, he trails the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee by 7 points, with 44% support. In both Florida and Pennsylvania, Biden earns 50% support with Trump at 45% and 44%, respectively.
In the neighboring states of Michigan and Wisconsin, Biden holds a substantial lead as well. In Michigan, 48% of voters currently back Biden compared to 45% saying the same for Trump. The former vice president also leads Trump by eight points in Wisconsin, with 51% support.
Across all states, Biden’s lead is averaged at 6 points with 50% support. The poll was taken from Friday to Sunday and interviewed 3,729 voters and has a margin of error of 1.6 points.
Voters in those states see the coronavirus as their top concern, with 71% saying they worry about the outbreak. Two weeks ago, 64% of voters said the same.
A majority of voters in the states, 70%, say the states should either increase precautions or pause reopenings altogether. Additionally, 75% say they are wearing facemasks when going out in public.
