New polling outlined in a memo sent to Trump campaign surrogates shows how China and the impact of the coronavirus are fueling the president’s fight for reelection.
According to the Tuesday night memo, data from 17 high-priority states shows a majority of voters who favor holding China to account for the spread of the virus. The document was shared by Politico.
The data also reveals how ads going after former Vice President Joe Biden over his record on China are persuasive to voters.
Of those who said they recalled seeing or hearing ads about Biden recently, 28% said they were now less likely to vote for the former vice president. Thirteen percent said they were more likely to support him, lending Trump a 15-point margin.
“Voters are less likely to vote for Biden after seeing our ads,” reads the memo.
With record unemployment and an economy in turmoil complicating Trump’s earlier messaging, which touted strong economic growth during his first three years in office, the coronavirus pandemic has emerged as a major flashpoint in Trump’s reelection strategy.
A mounting death toll, amid claims that the administration could have acted sooner and more forcefully against the virus, is a message both Trump and the campaign have each sought to dispute — and one that his opponent is trying to weaponize against him.
A recent Biden ad alleges “Trump rolled over for the Chinese” as the coronavirus took hold outside China.
“He took their word for it. Trump praised the Chinese 15 times in January and February as the coronavirus spread across the world,” said the ad, which ran in six battleground states.
