That press conference that rattled the press and dominated the media for the weekend barely registered among normal Americans.
A new HuffPost/YouGov poll surveyed reactions to President Trump’s wild press conference last week.
As the presser unfolded, Beltway journalists offered breathless speculation over how the public would react, with some predicting disastrous impacts on the president’s approval ratings.
The poll, released Monday, did not bear out those predictions.
“Most people who tuned in with pre-existing opinions of the president … found their opinions confirmed,” the Huffington Post reported.
Forty percent of respondents who watched or read about the conference said it did not change their opinion on Trump’s actions as president. Only 34 percent claimed Trump’s performance worsened their opinion, with 21 percent saying the presser actually improved it.
Nearly 40 percent of people surveyed had not heard about the press conference at all.
The poll surveyed 1,000 adults from February 17-18 with a four percent margin of error.
As we progress through Trump’s presidency, it is important to keep in mind most of the general public is not consuming the same content as people in the media. This is especially notable as Trump appears to be pivoting back to his campaign persona, even holding a rally in Florida last weekend.
As reporters huddle anxiously around newsroom televisions anticipating daytime press conferences, scrolling obsessively through Twitter feeds populated by others in media, they must remember the rest of the country is not doing the same.
Emily Jashinsky is a commentary writer for the Washington Examiner.
