Coronavirus Tracking Update
Over the past week, the Firehouse Strategies and 0ptimus Analytics coronavirus tracking survey shows approval of the president’s handling of the coronavirus outbreak hitting its lowest point this month at 48%, with viewership of the White House briefings dropping 10 points since the start of April.
Our tracking also shows Biden’s 8-point lead over Trump with likely voters holding steady last week. Details on these key findings and trendlines for today’s data points are presented below. Look out for updated numbers on Thursday on our website.
Biden maintains his 8-point lead against Trump among 2020 general election likely voters (52% Biden vs 44% Trump). A slightly larger percentage of self-identified Republicans say they would vote for Biden (11%) than Democrats who say they would vote for Trump (9%). Among Independents, Biden leads by 11 points (51-40).
Trump’s approval rating on his handling of the coronavirus outbreak has fluctuated between 48% and 52% throughout the past month, with today marking the lowest point of 48%.
The number of Americans who watch the White House coronavirus briefings has steadily declined over the past month, with 54% saying they watch it, a new low point compared to the peak 64% at the beginning of April.
“Biden’s lead amongst independents is going to be key going into the fall and he’s going to need to grow his already sizable lead if he’s going to better his chances for the fall,” said Scott Tranter of 0ptimus Analytics.
“Looking at this data, you can see why the White House may be reconsidering the daily press briefings,” said Alex Conant of Firehouse Strategies.