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Where’s the Bottom?
Trump’s downward slide continues at an alarming pace.
Remember March?
Before the lockdowns and restrictions. Before the death.
Trump remembers March too. Overall, it was a great month for him politically. He matched his best approval rating of his presidency at 49%, according to Gallup. While still technically a minority of voters, this solid foundation coupled with an electoral college edge might have been enough to push his re-election effort across the finish line.
Even better, for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, voters awarded him a 60% approval rating, which is fairly high for a historically divisive president.
Certainly, a portion of this temporary boost can be attributed to the “rally ‘round the flag” effect. This political phenomenon occurs when a nation is under siege — like with the coronavirus — and temporarily supports its leader.
Since Roosevelt, every president has experienced at least one double digit boost in the polls following a significant event. Bush received the largest ever “rally ‘round the flag” moment — a whopping 35 point jump immediately after 9/11, according to Gallup.
Recently, this effect has been much more muted. Obama received a seven point and five point spike after the killing of…
