Trump's approval rating dips amid coronavirus crisis


President Trump's approval rating has seen a 5 percentage point decline from its recent all-time high amid the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, a new Gallup poll has found.
In a Gallup survey released this week, 44 percent of Americans said they approve of the job Trump is doing as president, down from the 49 percent he earned in February as the Senate prepared to acquit him in his impeachment trial. That 49 percent approval rating was the highest of Trump's presidency.
Gallup's most recent poll was conducted from March 2-13, during which time the COVID-19 coronavirus crisis dramatically escalated in the United States and Trump delivered his Oval Office address on the issue, also declaring a national emergency days later.
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Still, Gallup notes that "whether the decline reflects the fading of the post-acquittal rally or a reaction to the emerging coronavirus threat is unclear." A recent ABC News poll found that 54 percent of Americans disapprove of the way Trump is handling the response to the coronavirus crisis, compared to 43 percent who approve.
Gallup also notes that there's "historical precedent for a post-impeachment bounce followed by a relatively quick return to pre-impeachment levels," which was also the case with polling for former President Bill Clinton.
The Gallup poll was conducted from March 2-13 by speaking with a random sample of 1,019 adults over the phone. The margin of error is 4 percentage points. Read the full results at Gallup.
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Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
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