Americans give high marks to state and local governments for their handling of the deadly coronavirus pandemic — but fewer than half approve of the job the federal government is doing, a new poll said Wednesday.
Just 38 percent of Americans approve of the Trump administration’s handling of the outbreak, while 41 percent disapprove, according to The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research survey.
And just 31 percent approve of how leaders in Congress are handling the crisis, while 41 percent disapprove.
Americans have a far more favorable opinion about the response efforts by their state and local governments — positive feelings shared across the political spectrum.
More than half of Americans, including 56 percent of Democrats and 65 percent of Republicans, say their states are managing the outbreak well.
Meanwhile, the survey also shows that President Trump’s approval ratings are among the highest of his presidency.
Forty-four percent of Americans support Trump’s oversight of the pandemic, in line with his overall 43 percent approval rating.
That’s at the high end for the Republican president during his more than three years in office.
Trump initially downplayed the virus, but the president shifted his stance in recent days as the White House estimated up to 240,000 Americans could die from coronavirus even if strict social-distancing measures are maintained.
If those steps aren’t taken, the number of deaths seems certain to increase, possibly topping two million, the White House said.
“I want every American to be prepared for the hard days that lie ahead,” Trump said.
Trump’s approval ratings are propped up by strong support from Republicans, with 82 percent backing his handling of the pandemic.
Democrats remain overwhelmingly opposed to the president, with just 14 percent supportive of his actions in recent weeks.
The president, whose lengthy press conferences from the White House have been broadcast daily throughout the crisis, rates higher than both the federal government as a whole and Congress, which just approved $2.2 trillion in emergency funding for major industries, small businesses and individuals.
Lawmakers are already discussing additional ways to stabilize the economy as the pandemic appears likely to stretch deep into at least the spring or summer.
The AP-NORC poll of 1,057 adults was conducted March 26-29, before Tuesday’s grim estimates were revealed, and had a margin of error of plus or minus 4.1 percentage points.
With Post wires
