Trump Approval Ratings Hurt By Coronavirus, Stock Market? In Election Year, President Criticized For Health Crisis Response

President Trump’s approval ratings could be taking a hit as his administration is criticized for its response to the coronavirus and the stock market plummets.

A survey by right-leaning pollster Rasmussen said Friday that 47% of likely voters approve of the President’s job performance and 52% disapprove. A day earlier, the same Rasmussen poll showed that 52% of voters approved of Trump’s job performance. Trump’s approval ratings have been consistently below 50% on average since March 2017.

The Trump administration has been criticized for not being prepared enough to deal with the virus, with the White House firing the pandemic response team in 2018 to cut costs.

Trump has also been scrutinized for putting Vice President Mike Pence as head of the coronavirus task force. An HIV outbreak occurred under Pence’s watch in 2015 when he served as Governor of Indiana.

During a rally on Friday evening, Trump blasted Democrats for coronavirus criticism, saying “this is their new hoax.”

"The Democrats are politicizing the coronavirus,” Trump told a crowd in South Carolina, claiming that the media is in “hysteria mode” due to its coverage of the virus.

Democrats shot back at the comments, with former Vice President and presidential rival Joe Biden calling Trump’s remarks “totally bizarre.”

“I was particularly disturbed to hear the word 'hoax' used by the president," said Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg.

The coronavirus also has economic ramifications, as it has disrupted global supply chains and caused financial markets to plummet. The strength of the economy could impact Trump’s approval ratings.

The stock market experienced its worst week since the 2008 financial crisis, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average falling more than 3,500 points. Goldman Sachs has also suggested that U.S. firms could experience stagnate growth this year due to coronavirus concerns.

Trump, along with other members of his administration, have tried to downplay the threat of the virus in order to calm the markets.

Any economic slowdown could hurt Trump’s chance of reelection, as a strong economy is a central part of his campaign. As the coronavirus weighs on the growth, the White House has been considering tax cuts, along with pressure on the Federal Reserve to lower interest rates, in order to stimulate the economy.

The coronavirus, which originated in China, has infected over 85,000 people worldwide and killed over 2,900. On Saturday, the first U.S. death from the virus was confirmed in Washington state, with Trump saying that the victim was a “wonderful woman” in her 50s.