Republicans More Optimistic About Trump’s Chances Than in 2016
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Yes, even now.
The economy is a wreck, yes; but people do remember just how low unemployment was before Covid-19 struck. They remember how well their 401K was doing- for once- and they remember the stock market hit record highs.
Hopes for a quick, V-shaped recovery are much higher after an encouraging May jobs report and high recent closings on Wall Street. Trump gets the credit for that; even people who respond that they don’t like Trump in a poll still say they trust Trump over Joe Biden to get the economy back on track. And Trump’s poll numbers have certainly survived before.
Many people are indeed unhappy with what they perceive of as Trump’s lack of leadership during the Covid-19 crisis; they may have a point. Trump isn’t known to work well especially with others, especially with people he can accuse of underperforming.
Some Democratic and Republican governors critical to Trump would certainly fall under than category; and there is certainly enough blame for mistakes made during the coronavirus response to go around. But for Trump voters, bipartisan coalition-building was never viewed as Trump’s priority anyway.
With his image as the “Swamp-Drainer in Chief” intact, at least on the Trump-voting right, his butting-heads with the likes of Democratic governors and Republicans Mitt Romney were seen as par for the course. Trump’s unusual across-the-aisle success in squeezing lauds from the likes of NY’s Democrat Governor Andrew Cuomo and other prominent Democrats were pitched as home-runs to his base. And they were received as such.
Like former U.S. President George W. Bush’s “Mission Accomplished” moment (when Bush presented a speech, unveiled a banner and declared the conflict in Iraq a success- in spite of the lack thereof) Trump has been able to claim a measure of success on Covid-19
As far as Trump’s base is concerned, their champion has seen the U.S. through to the downslide of Covid-19 infections. Overall hospitalizations might be up, but that is because hospitals are starting to see patients for other reasons now. People who put off surgeries or going to the doctor are resuming their treatments.
