A majority of Americans now approve of President Donald Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new survey, as the administration has issued stricter federal guidelines in recent days and the president has adopted a more public-facing role in combating the disease.
An ABC News/Ipsos poll released Friday reports that 55 percent of respondents approve of Trump’s management of the public health crisis, while 43 percent disapprove. The latest figures represent a boost in the president’s rating from the previous iteration of the survey, published one week ago, which showed only 43 percent approval for Trump and 54 percent disapproval.
The uptick in public sentiment comes in the wake of a variety of measures the president has taken since last Friday to combat the rapid spread of COVID-19 within the United States. Trump has been widely criticized for his initial response to the pandemic as well as his adminitration’s inability to quickly ramp up testing in the U.S.
Trump has declared a national emergency, expanded the European travel ban, urged people to avoid group gatherings of more than 10 people, signaled his support for dispensing checks to affected Americans, and invoked the Defense Production Act — although he has stopped short of actually triggering the statute.
The president has also often led the daily press briefings of the White House coronavirus task force, announcing new federal actions, taking questions from reporters and generally appearing more solemn regarding the nature of the threat facing the country.
Governors on the front lines of the outbreak have praised the administration’s increased engagement, while still demanding a more robust, all-encompassing federal response and the delivery of sorely needed medical equipment in anticipation of the coronavirus’ overrunning of local health care systems.
But Trump has largely placed the onus back on governors to acquire those potentially life-saving supplies, telling reporters Thursday that the federal government is “not a shipping clerk.”
