Poll: Majority of Americans don't trust Trump on coronavirus
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36% of Americans say they trust what President Trump has said about the coronavirus outbreak, while 52% say they do not, according to an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.
Why it matters: Trump's daily coronavirus briefings have been rife with misinformation. Cable news networks have struggled to determine whether to broadcast the briefings, as live events can be difficult for reporters to fact-check in real time.
- Only 35% of respondents said they trust Vice President Mike Pence, who leads the White House coronavirus task force.
By comparison, 66% of respondents said they trust their own governor. Trump issued guidelines last week that largely give governors the responsibility to determine when states should reopen their economies.
- 69% of respondents also said they trust the Centers for Disease Control, while 60% trust Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious diseases expert.
By the numbers: Trump's overall job rating has remained steady over the past few months at 46%.
- 60% of respondents said they support keeping a stay-at-home order.
- 58% said they fear the U.S. will move "too quickly" to loosen restrictions, while 32% fear the country will take too long.
- 45% said the economy is in poor condition — up 20 points since last month.
- 73% said they are worried someone in their immediate family will get the coronavirus, up 20 points from last month.
- 77% said the virus has changed their day-to-day life in a "very" or "fairly" major way, compared to 26% last month.
1 2020 thing: 26% said they trust the presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden on the coronavirus, while 29% don't trust him and 42% aren't aware of his coronavirus statements.
Methodology: The NBC News/WSJ poll was conducted April 13–15 of 900 registered voters — more than half of whom were reached by cellphone — and it has an overall margin of error of ±3.3 percentage points.
Go deeper: Trump show dominates pandemic while Biden's voice fades
