Republicans and Democrats have very different views on who to blame for America's coronavirus death toll


Americans seem to agree that someone deserves the blame for the country's coronavirus death toll, they just can't settle on whom. A poll from Morning Consult released last week found the targets differed significantly along party lines.
Republicans mostly looked outwards — 80 percent consider the Chinese government at least somewhat responsible, and 68 percent felt the same about both immigrants who traveled to the U.S. after the outbreak began and Americans who traveled internationally. Only 44 percent, meanwhile, pointed the finger at the federal government, and even fewer found the White House responsible.
That's in stark contrast to Democrats, 79 and 81 percent of whom think the federal government and the Trump administration, respectively, shoulder some of the blame. But Democrats most frequently responded that Americans who didn't practice social distancing are the cause behind the virus' spread and resulting fatalities.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
There are some bipartisan results in the poll, however. Voters from both parties mostly feel the scientific community and medical professionals are not responsible for country's COVID-19 deaths.
Full methodology for the survey was not made available. Morning Consult coronavirus polling uses data from a national sample of 2,200 adults across a representative group of demographics. Results from Morning Consult's twice-weekly survey has a margin of error of 2 percentage points.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.
-
July 13 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Sunday's political cartoons include new TSA rules, FEMA cuts, and Volodymyr Zelenskyy complimenting Donald Trump's new wardrobe
-
5 weather-beaten cartoons about the Texas floods
Cartoons Artists take on funding cuts, politicizing tragedy, and more
-
What has the Dalai Lama achieved?
The Explainer Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader has just turned 90, and he has been clarifying his reincarnation plans
-
Trump set to hit Canada with 35% tariffs
Speed Read The president accused Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney of failing to stop the cross-border flow of fentanyl
-
Mahmoud Khalil files $20M claim over ICE detention
Speed Read This is the 'first damages complaint' brought by an individual targeted by the Trump's administration's 'crackdown' on Gaza war protesters
-
Trump threatens Brazil with 50% tariffs
Speed Read He accused Brazil's current president of leading a 'witch hunt' against far-right former leader Jair Bolsonaro
-
AI scammer fakes Rubio messages to top officials
Speed Read The unknown individual mimicked Rubio in voice and text messages sent to multiple government officials
-
SCOTUS greenlights Trump's federal firings
speed read The Trump administration can conduct mass federal firings without Congress' permission, the Supreme Court ruled
-
New tariffs set on 14 trading partners
Speed Read A new slate of tariffs will begin August 1 on imports from Japan, South Korea, Thailand and more
-
Elon Musk launching 'America Party'
Speed Read The tech mogul promised to form a new political party if Trump's megabill passed Congress
-
Judge blocks Trump's asylum ban at US border
Speed Read The president violated federal law by shutting down the US-Mexico border to asylum seekers, said the ruling