Alana Wise at NPR:
The nation's opinion of President Trump and his handling of the coronavirus pandemic are now on a downward turn, as the economy slumps and the death toll mounts in the virus's wake.
While Trump enjoyed a short-lived approval ratings bump in March at the onset of the outbreak, an aggregation of recent opinion polls show the public's approval of his job performance and specific handling of the coronavirus is slipping.
From March 29 to April 8, the number of Americans who disapprove of Trump's job performance grew by 5.2% , with slightly more than half of those surveyed expressing disapproval of his operation.
When it comes to his grasp of the coronavirus pandemic, more Americans now disapprove 48.9% — than approve — 46.8% — of Trump's job performance, according to data from March 24 to April 7. That is a 2.1% increase.
HAPPY GOOD FRIDAY TO ALL!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 10, 2020
Jonathan Martin and Maggie Haberman at NYT:Naturally, Trump would celebrate an innocent man bein' killed by a totalitarian government.https://t.co/fIP6wjkKXQ— Tea Pain (@TeaPainUSA) April 10, 2020
In his daily briefings on the coronavirus, President Trump has brandished all the familiar tools in his rhetorical arsenal: belittling Democratic governors, demonizing the media, trading in innuendo and bulldozing over the guidance of experts.
It’s the kind of performance the president relishes, but one that has his advisers and Republican allies worried.
As unemployment soars and the death toll skyrockets, and new polls show support for the president’s handling of the crisis sagging, White House allies and Republican lawmakers increasingly believe the briefings are hurting the president more than helping him. Many view the sessions as a kind of original sin from which all of his missteps flow, once he gets through his prepared script and turns to his preferred style of extemporaneous bluster and invective.Alayna Treene at Axios:
There is growing concern among top conservative leaders that the Trump administration isn't addressing the long-term economic impact of the coronavirus, several sources tell Axios. One top adviser said if the recovery is bungled it could cost President Trump the election.
What we're hearing: "The next 4-8 weeks is really going to decide whether Trump gets reelected," Stephen Moore, Trump's former nominee for the Federal Reserve board, told Axios. If the administration mishandles its economic recovery efforts, he said, Trump is "in big trouble."
Trump’s campaign released the ad on Thursday at a time of rising xenophobia and violence in the United States aimed at Chinese-Americans, as bigots blame them and other Asian-Americans for the outbreak of the coronavirus, which originated in China. https://t.co/TEkRa00bJJ— Annie Karni (@anniekarni) April 10, 2020
