President Trump and Republicans could face trouble this November
By Douglas Schoen, opinion contributor — 04/19/20 02:00 PM EDT
President Trump has announced new federal guidelines for reopening the country that place responsibility on governors on how to restart business and end the stay home orders in their states. This comes as health experts and lawmakers across the nation continue to call on the administration to expand coronavirus testing, which is still critically lacking. The admission that governors will be in charge marked a reversal from earlier in the week when Trump claimed that he had “total authority†over such decisions. He then called for the “liberation†of three states, inciting his followers there to revolt against their governors and protest the stay home orders.
With more than 22 million Americans unemployed and an entire decade of job gains gone, the inability to stick to a cohesive message and choice to divide the country by playing to his base will cost Trump and Republicans in the election. The approval rating and polling position of the president have fallen across the nation and in crucial swing states, so his weakened position and erratic narrative will also likely hurt Republicans in key down ballot races. Together with lagging Republican fundraising, this reveals a party that is potentially looking at a substantial defeat in November.
Just this month, the approval rating of Trump has fallen from 49 percent to 43 percent, according to a new Gallup poll. Further, almost 50 percent of Americans approved of how the president was handling the pandemic last month, while 46 percent disapproved. But now almost 50 percent of Americans disapproving of his handling of the coronavirus, according to the Five Thirty Eight average. Moreover, Trump is now performing poorly in swing states like Arizona, Florida, and Michigan, as Republican down ballot candidates in these states are experiencing a ripple effect.
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https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/493560-president-trump-and-republicans-could-face-trouble-this-november
