President Donald Trump loves to attack the media, and his most frequent target is CNN, which he routinely brands “fake news.” But it turns out that the joke is on Trump, because a majority of Americans say they trust CNN more than they do Trump when it comes to telling the truth about the coronavirus pandemic.
A new poll from Monmouth University asked, “Conflicting info on #COVID19 – who do Americans believe?”
The results: 51 percent said they trust CNN. 38 percent trust Trump. And 8 percent say they don’t trust either one:
Conflicting info on #COVID19 – who do Americans believe?
CNN 51%
Trump 38%
Neither 8%National @MonmouthPoll https://t.co/gT8t6tnraM
— Political Polls (@PpollingNumbers) May 5, 2020
Not surprisingly, Republicans who were polled said they trust Trump more than they do Fox News, suggesting why many of them are so woefully uninformed.
The Monmouth poll also points to a major problem for the president with the election now less than six months away: His inability to convince Americans that he has their best interests at heart and can be depended on to tell them the truth when it comes to matters that involve their health and well-being:
Specifically, pollsters asked about the advice Trump has given the public on how to deal with COVID-19:
“42% say it has been harmful, 33% say it has been helpful, and 23% say it is not particularly harmful or helpful.”
Additionally, 55 percent of those surveyed said Trump has been “inconsistent” at his coronavirus press briefings.
Patrick Murray, director of the independent Monmouth University Polling Institute, noted that most Americans are not pleased with the way Trump has often talked at cross purposes:
“It is difficult to look at the briefing transcripts and not see inconsistency from one day to the next. These poll results are just another reminder of how people filter information to reframe some facts and dismiss others in order to maintain their own internal consistency when it comes to perceptions of Trump.”
All of this suggests that Trump faces an uphill battle as he struggles to give the appearance he’s concerned about the health of the American people and not just focused on trying to get reelected.
Featured Image Via CNN Screenshot
