Voters: COVID-19 diagnosis ‘will hurt’ Trump’s support in 2020 presidential election

Voters around Boston predict President Trump’s COVID-19 infection and subsequent hospitalization will hurt his chances of re-election as the pandemic dominates Americans’ priorities at the polls.

“I don’t think it will help his level of support, I think it will hurt his level of support, because I think he’s demonstrated he doesn’t know how to handle the pandemic,” Bob Manny said.

A new Franklin Pierce University-Boston Herald national poll shows that former Vice President Joe Biden’s lead over Trump has ballooned to 16 points after the president contracted coronavirus.

“Anybody who has a connection to this, who’s suffered because of this — whether it’s health-wise or financially — everything he has said is just insensitive,” said John McLaughlin, of Washington D.C.

According to the poll, before Trump caught the virus, he trailed Biden by just a 46%-41% margin. In the three days of polling after the coronavirus diagnosis, Biden held a 55%-34% lead.

Many of the people around Boston who spoke with the Herald on Tuesday — and said they plan on voting in the November general election — said they are surprised that many people remain on the fence.

“It’s definitely surprising people are changing their minds, but it makes sense, because   those people probably believe in the strength of the country, and if they see him getting physically weaker maybe they will move on,” said 24-year-old Marcus Barahal.

Some voters told the Herald they had hoped the president would conduct himself differently after getting diagnosed with coronavirus.

“I was really hoping he would get it and help people understand what they should do, but he doesn’t seem to go that way. He’s not going to change his mind,” said Jamaica Plain resident Karen O’Connor.

Not all Trump supporters are jumping ship, though, as Ohio voter Kevin Haase told the Herald he’s still backing the GOP because he believes in their policies.

“This whole pandemic thing? He could have handled it better, but I think anyone else, they would be in the same situation,” he said.

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/3iAwDkg