It may be the least of the US President’s worries at the moment (or perhaps it is, given his preoccupation with the polls), but Trump appears to struggling to maintain the loyalty of the group that could determine his fate in November’s presidential selection: older people.
A Quinnipiac University poll released last week shows Democrat rival Joe Biden, 77, leading Trump, 73, by 10 points among voters 65 and older, The Guardian reports.
Pundits put this down to the fact that older people are the most vulnerable to the coronavirus, which has now killed over 107,000 Americans, many aged 70-plus.
New research by a polling firm tracking public opinion on COVID-19, found older Americans were losing faith in Trump’s handling of the outbreak, describing him as “self-absorbed” and neither “serious” nor “presidential”.
The Trump campaign has downplayed concerns about this growing gap, but the White House has been ramping up efforts to show how the administration is benefiting older people.
Vice President Mike Pence even personally delivered personal protective equipment to a nursing home in Orlando treating coronavirus cases last month.
But the Republican campaign has its work cut out with many of the key states among the worst affected by the pandemic.
In Florida, over 80% of those who have died from coronavirus have been older than 65 – more than 40% in aged care homes.
Older voters were key to Trump’s victory in 2016 – will they again be the deciding factor in 2020?
Discussion1 Comment
Please show the power of grey !