A majority of Americans believe President Donald Trump was too slow to act on the Covid-19 global pandemic. A new poll found that 58% of people thought his response was too slow.
The ABC/Washington Post poll showed 51% of Americans approve of Trump’s handling of the Coronavirus, while 36% strongly approve. Less than half of respondents – 45% – disapproved of his actions.
However, the poll also found that a clear majority of Americans don’t think the President acted quickly enough, with 58% saying Trump was ‘too slow to take action to address the problem.’
Just 38% believed the President had ‘acted with the right amount of speed’, while 4% of respondents had no opinion on the timing of his actions.
To get more stories like this, subscribe to our newsletter The Daily.
Trump was criticized for his initial response to the global pandemic. He downplayed the severity of the virus and praised China for its ‘transparency’ on the issue.
However, Trump’s approval rating has remained steady throughout the crisis. Some polls have shown the President gaining in support because of his handling of the outbreak.
Trump has frequently pointed to his approval rating as evidence that he’s doing a good job. There is no guarantee his positive numbers will remain steady, however.
On Thursday, President Trump disputed New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s claim that his state will need 30 to 40 thousand ventilators. Trump has clashed with Cuomo throughout the crisis.
“I don’t believe you need 40,000 or 30,000 ventilators,” Trump told Fox News.
“You go into major hospitals sometimes, and they’ll have two ventilators. And now all of a sudden they’re saying, ‘Can we order 30,000 ventilators?’”
The President’s attitude toward governors struggling with the Coronavirus and his attempts to ease social distancing are likely to affect his approval rating.
Follow Darragh Roche on Twitter
Darragh Roche is a journalist covering U.S. politics and media
