7 in 10 think U.S. is on the wrong track, AP poll finds
WASHINGTON — Less than seven weeks before Election Day, most Americans are deeply pessimistic about the direction of the country and skeptical of President Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
Roughly 7 in 10 Americans think the nation is on the wrong track, according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
It’s an assessment that poses a challenge for Trump as he urges voters to stay the course and reward him with four more years in office instead of handing the reins of government to Democrat Joe Biden.
Trump’s argument to voters hinges in part on persuading Americans that the pandemic, which has killed nearly 200,000 people in the U.S., is receding.
Yet just 39 percent of Americans approve of how Trump is handling the outbreak.
“Clearly it has been mishandled,” said Don Smith, 77, of Kannapolis, North Carolina.
Smith, an independent who plans to vote for Biden in November, said he’s been particularly troubled by what he sees as Trump’s efforts to sideline public health experts and scientists.
The White House has repeatedly sought to assert more control over the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. On Wednesday, Trump publicly undercut CDC Director Robert Redfield on two crucial matters: the likely timeline for vaccine availability and the effectiveness of wearing face masks.
Trump is regularly traveling around the country for campaign events, speaking to tightly packed crowds.
Though he largely held outdoor events through the summer, he headlined two large indoor events over the weekend.
Public health officials say transmission rates are higher indoors versus outdoors.
Overall, Trump’s approval rating sits at 43 percent, well within the narrow range it has been throughout his first term, and slightly higher than it was earlier in the summer.
Roughly 7 in 10 Americans think the nation is on the wrong track, according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
It’s an assessment that poses a challenge for Trump as he urges voters to stay the course and reward him with four more years in office instead of handing the reins of government to Democrat Joe Biden.
Trump’s argument to voters hinges in part on persuading Americans that the pandemic, which has killed nearly 200,000 people in the U.S., is receding.
Yet just 39 percent of Americans approve of how Trump is handling the outbreak.
“Clearly it has been mishandled,” said Don Smith, 77, of Kannapolis, North Carolina.
Smith, an independent who plans to vote for Biden in November, said he’s been particularly troubled by what he sees as Trump’s efforts to sideline public health experts and scientists.
The White House has repeatedly sought to assert more control over the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. On Wednesday, Trump publicly undercut CDC Director Robert Redfield on two crucial matters: the likely timeline for vaccine availability and the effectiveness of wearing face masks.
Trump is regularly traveling around the country for campaign events, speaking to tightly packed crowds.
Though he largely held outdoor events through the summer, he headlined two large indoor events over the weekend.
Public health officials say transmission rates are higher indoors versus outdoors.
Overall, Trump’s approval rating sits at 43 percent, well within the narrow range it has been throughout his first term, and slightly higher than it was earlier in the summer.