Poll: Governors get highest marks for COVID-19 response; Trump lowest

Sept. 15 (UPI) -- Approval ratings for the COVID-19 response by state governors and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are better than they are for President Donald Trump, a Gallup survey showed Tuesday.

The survey asked respondents to rate the three on various aspects of the health crisis.

When asked if they felt the three care about the safety and health of their community, more than 60% said yes for their state's governor, 53% said so for the CDC and just 36% said so about Trump.

When asked if they have a "clear plan of action," 54% said their governors do, compared to 32% for the CDC and 30% for Trump.

When asked if they have confidence in the three to successfully manage emerging health challenges, 53% said yes for their governor, 40% said so for the CDC and 35% for Trump.

While more than half of overall respondents "strongly disagree" that Trump has communicated a clear plan, the figure is 93% among Democrats and just 3% among Republicans. Fifty-three percent of independents were in the category.

Conversely, 55% of Republicans and 2% of Democrats "strongly agreed" that Trump has communicated a clear plan.

"State governors across the U.S. are having more success than the CDC or Trump in instilling confidence in Americans that there is a clear plan for dealing with the coronavirus pandemic and that they can handle other emerging health challenges," Gallup wrote.

"Governors' relatively positive image on handling the coronavirus as well as caring for people's welfare could be crucial in communicating with the public once a vaccine becomes available, helping people understand its safety and the importance of being vaccinated."

Gallup polled more than 2,700 adults for the survey, which has a margin of error of 4 points.