President Trump’s penchant for touting exaggerated numbers, gratuitous boasts, and ‘alternative facts’ has finally caught up with him – or so it seems.
Over the past weeks, Trump has addressed the American people multiple times on the deadly coronavirus.
Presumably, his public announcements were an attempt to shore-up public support and assure Americans he had things under control.
But a new national NPR/PBS Newshour/Marist poll reports that 60 percent of Americans consider his statements on COVID-19 dubious, at best.
From a sample of 835 adults around America, the poll shows that 24 percent place “not very much” trust in Trump’s statements about the virus. Another 36 percent responded they did not believe him at all!
As expected, 74 percent of Republicans responded positively. Some 91 percent of Democrats responded negatively.
However, the majority of both camps – and independents – still trust the messaging of local governments and public health experts.
(Photo: White House/Flickr)
Most Americans still trust the news media, too – which should befuddle Trump. The American media has been among those on the receiving end of some of his most insidious attacks.
None of this should be surprising. Over the past months, Trump’s statements about COVID-19 have veered from dismissive, to boasting, to somewhat serious.
Finally, however, one of his more recent statements about the pandemic rings painfully true: “This is a very bad one.”
Sadly, for many Americans, his stark change in tone may have come too late.
