President Trump’s slow coronavirus response has allowed the United States to surpass every country in cases of coronavirus with an estimated number of 867,771 cases, and the death toll rising to 48,900 (as of 4/23). Early on Trump placed restrictions on China, and created a taskforce to defeat COVID-19 yet it was not enough to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus. Donald Trump has tried to instill hope and optimism within the American people through daily press conferences, but instead has spread dangerous misinformation. Trump has supported reopening the economy as soon as possible, going against many public health officials working with him including Dr. Fauci, Director of National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, who recommends maintaining strict social distancing measures. In a press conference Trump stated, “Our country wasn’t built to be shut down. This is not a country that was built for this… America will again and soon be open for business. Very soon. A lot sooner than three or four months that somebody was suggesting.”

In an ongoing debate within the government whether saving the economy is more important versus saving the lives of many Americans, Trump has seemed to support saving the economy over lives, and most of his supporters agree. Trump supporters in various states are protesting against the strict social distancing rules imposed by their state’s governor, and believe it infringes on their rights saying, “my body my choice” (a common saying pro-choicers use during protests). With the chaos and uncertainty that surrounds the coronavirus pandemic, Trump’s approval rating remains at a steady 42%. Around 82% of republicans say they still approve of Trump’s job as president despite questioning his credibility, and only 22% of republicans have lost trust in Trump since the COVID-19 outbreak. According to a survey conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, only 23% of Americans say they have a high level of trust in what President Trump is telling the public. As many Americans have lost faith in their President, Trump supporters remain electrified and supportive.

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