CNN poll: Most say US government has done poor job of preventing coronavirus spread

Most Americans in a CNN poll released early Wednesday said the federal government has done a poor job of preventing the spread of coronavirus. 

Fifty-five percent of respondents said the federal government has not done a good job, an increase of 8 percentage points in about a week. The government’s disapproval rating on its actions during the pandemic has increased 12 percentage points in a month, pollsters noted.

Approval for the U.S. government during the coronavirus crisis is divided by party, with 80 percent of Republicans saying it has done a good job, compared to 85 percent of Democrats who say it has done poorly.

Sixty-nine percent of respondents said the government should be doing more to address the shortages in medical supplies, with 87 percent of Democrats, 72 percent of independents and 42 percent of Republicans in agreement. 

President Trump’s approval rating hasn’t changed significantly in recent polls, with 44 percent now approving of his job performance and 51 percent disapproving. But 52 percent disapprove of Trump’s handling of the pandemic, while 45 percent approve, with both percentages increasing since early March.

Fifty-five percent of respondents now say the president could be doing more to address the pandemic. Comparatively, 43 percent say he is doing everything he can. 

Americans’ approval of Trump’s health care policy is at its highest point since 2017, with 42 percent approving and 52 percent disapproving, pollsters noted. 

The pandemic has struck the U.S. hard, with almost 400,000 people testing positive for the virus, with the death toll reaching at least 12,912, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

Congress has passed three stimulus package bills specifically for the crisis, including a $2 trillion bill passed at the end of last month. 

CNN’s poll surveyed 1,002 people April 3-6. The margin of error was 3.7 percentage points.