Trump Approval Rating Rises Amid Coronavirus Crisis
Trump Approval Rating Rises Amid Coronavirus Crisis
Rant #19(Opinion)
Originally March 24, 2020
Rant #19(Opinion)
Originally March 24, 2020
Donald Trump ignored intelligence reports from multiple agencies in the months of January and February that warned of the coronavirus imminently infecting America, doing great damage to the economy and public health. The president publicly refuted the severity of the virus, famously called it a "Democratic hoax," and to this day despite having declared a national emergency continues to give bad advice about the illness, for example by claiming that chloroquine is a viable cure for COVID-19. And now, the president has begun flirting with the idea of reeling back the emergency measures meant to flatten the curve of the rapidly spreading coronavirus. It doesn't stop there, either. Here's a link to a video which very effectively displays some more examples of how he has totally mismanaged the crisis thus far.
And yet, the president's approval rating has risen by most metrics the last few days. In some cases, he tops the 50% mark, or at least his approval outnumbers disapproval (for once). Even after accounting for the partisan leaning of certain polls, he is beginning to approach the 50% mark. His popularity among Republicans remains steady, while rising slightly among Democrats and modestly for independents. A Harris poll taken just two weeks ago shows an approval rating of 42% among independents; that has risen to the 50% mark in the most recent poll. Democrats and Republicans didn't budge in their approval or disapproval, though the degree of disapproval among Democrats softened whereas Republicans increasingly said that they "strongly support" the president as opposed to just "somewhat support." YouGov polls from roughly the same dates show a similar trend: the degree of feelings toward Trump warmed overall and within party affiliations: "strongly approve," "somewhat approve," and "somewhat disapprove" all going up with "strongly disapprove" going down. Other polls show the same phenomenon. In a closely divided climate like our country today, gaining a few points really tips the balance in a significant way--especially with an election coming up in November.
So how could this happen? After all, Trump continues to stifle efforts to contain the virus, with his actions as well as words, which carry great weight. To his (or his administration's) credit, some measures put into place have been laudable. Declaring a 60 day moratorium on evictions and foreclosures, moving tax day to July 15 and stressing social distancing (until the last day or two) definitely help mitigate the damage inflicted by coronavirus, particularly to the economy. A travel ban from China last month would've made for a smart move if the time that it bought us had been used to properly prepare for the pandemic. Enacting the Defense Production Act could be a good move--if he would actually use that power efficiently. However, his incompetence and poor leadership skills continue to outweigh what help he has offered to the country.
Overall, regarding this sudden increase in popularity: a lot of this has to do with a "rallying effect." During times of disaster and uncertainty (such as war), the population tends to cling to its leader for comfort and a sense of protection, however well he or she provides it. When POTUS declares a national emergency and trots out a bunch of high-ranking officials, top doctors and CEOs announcing an ambitious assault on the virus, it kind of wipes the slate clean for many voters, particularly the low-info ones who see that he announces that they're doing something, without knowing any details about how he's botched the response. My theory is that as the virus spreads, that initial benefit of the doubt/rally effect as well as the low-info voters' assumption that the Trump administration is doing something will start to fade. When the crisis becomes visible to Middle America, and people around them get sick, it will proably change as Americans furiously ask why they don't we have enough simple items to protect people from infection in their area, and see that the president's stance on that is to leave it to the private sector.
Honestly though, as much as I hate how the guy governs, I'd be very happy if he stepped up to the plate and really took this seriously; instead, he acts like an oaf and a dunce. Prove me wrong--dear God, prove me wrong. For the sake of actual human lives. Yet at every turn he continues to disappoint. The president basically said that if this doesn't just disappear in a few days, then tough shit if you're a vulnerable person, but the economy needs to go on as usual. Since then, prominent Fox News hosts and the Lieutenant Governor of Texas (to name a few) have also shifted their narratives to promote abandoning the safety precautions put in place (e.g. like stay-at-home orders) to save the economy. Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick said it most explicitly.
There, you have the psychopathic nature of Donald Trump: viewing the country's grandparents and ill as expendable pawns to be sacrificed in order to act on his assumption that the economy will resume its growth if he does that. Just like all of his other business, financial and economic logic in the past, this is a terrible idea according to anybody who can interpret a chart. But this president will give mixed signals in an attempt to offer the public's health in exchange for market gains, and get neither. And Fox News will give him a megaphone, then parrot his ill-advised plans; Republicans will adopt Trump's tweets as scripture, and shift positions as well; and one-third of Americans (if not more) will take his advice, go back to work, infect others, spread the virus, people die and it still hurts the economy. This could get really, really ugly--the overwhelming majority of people alive today in our nation don't have any grim, morbid episodes in our memories to referrence. It pains me to think that the next year or so will deeply impact the shared experience of us as Americans, and not for the better.
And yet his approval numbers will never fall below 40%, because that much of the country is willing to accept Trump's accusations that fake news and Democrats and immigrants are somehow responsible for coronavirus, just like every other problem. Perhaps a portion of the 40% of the country that has previously supported Trump regardless of what happens will no longer have the nerves (or stomach) for it. Those who tolerated him because of the state of the economy--Chamber of Commerce Republicans, who will stop humoring him when the DOW remains lower than it stood back at Trump's inauguration. But if 1/3 of the country could believe Obama is a secret Muslim, God created the earth 6,000 years ago or that Ukraine and the Democrats framed Russia for interfering in the 2016 election regardless of concrete evidence to suggest otherwise, then Trump can spin this disaster in endless ways that insult the intelligence of half the country, yet continue to retain a solid base of supporters.
Works Cited
-Occupy Democrats' Facebook Page, 2 minute Trump coronavirus lies video.
-Vox, Fox News hosts and Texas Lt. Gov have changed positions on the coronavirus.
-CNN, Lt. Gov Dan Patrick's coronavirus statements.
-The Hill, March 22-23 Trump approval rating poll.
-The Hill, March 8-9 Trump approval rating poll.
-YouGov, March 9-11 Trump approval poll.
-YouGov, March 21-23 Trump approval poll.
-FiveThirtyEight, Trump approval ratings from various pollsters.
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