Protect Our Care Discussed President Trump’s Decision to Put Politics Over Preparedness on Coronavirus and New Poll Showing Americans’ Grave Concerns Over His Response on a Press Call Today
Listen to the call HERE
Washington, DC — On a press call this afternoon, U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) and Protect Our Care called out President Trump for his disastrous response to the threat of coronavirus and discussed how his failure to adequately prepare for this public health crisis makes Americans less safe. While health experts warn the public about the spread of coronavirus, the president continues to spout false information and contradict their advice at every turn. President Trump’s focus on politics has also eroded Americans’ confidence in his administration’s response. On the call, Protect Our Care unveiled a new poll from Public Policy Polling conducted for POC that shows a majority of voters are both very concerned about the spread of coronavirus and disapprove of the job the Trump administration is doing in preparing America for the growing threat.
Key findings from the poll:
- 72% of voters say they’re concerned about the impact the coronavirus virus will have on the economy, including 36% who say they’re ‘very concerned.’
- By a 20-point margin, voters say the Trump administration’s handling of the virus makes them less likely to vote for Trump this fall.
- Independents say they’re less likely to vote for Trump by 32 points because of how he’s dealt with this issue.
- Only 37% of voters agree with Trump’s assessment that his administration is doing a “great job” dealing with the coronavirus, while 53% disagree.
- Voters are also concerned about the administration’s failure to commit to an affordable coronavirus vaccine – 67% of voters have serious concerns about the administration’s statement that “they can’t control that price.
“In many ways, this is the moment that a lot of us have worried about. A true public health threat presented to the country that this president was not ready to meet,” said U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT). “From the very beginning, this administration has not taken coronavirus seriously enough. I wish that we had an administration that understood there is no way to confront an epidemic of this potential size without a robust, early, federal response.”
“The president’s continued focus on politics over preparedness has eroded Americans’ confidence in his ability to keep them safe at a time when they need a leader they can trust,” said Protect Our Care Chair Leslie Dach, who coordinated the global Ebola response for HHS under President Obama. “President Trump’s politicized response and disregard for the facts and the experts about the threat of coronavirus continues to put American lives at risk. The more the president spouts false information and contradicts health experts, the less prepared the public will be as the threat of the coronavirus grows.”