Americans trust President Donald J. Trump more than they do the national media to provide accurate information about the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new poll from CBS News.
Though both are viewed as untrustworthy sources of information by a majority of Americans, the president has a narrow edge over the national media. Forty-four percent of Americans said they trust Trump to provide accurate information about the coronavirus, while 56 percent said they didn't trust the president.
By comparison, just 43 percent of Americans trust the national media when it comes to the coronavirus, according to the poll. A slightly larger majority—57 percent—said they didn't trust the media's coverage of the pandemic. Trust in the national media was particularly lacking among independent voters. Sixty-two percent of independents said they didn't trust the national media, while 51 percent said they thought the media was "overreacting" to the outbreak.
The same poll found that a majority of Americans—54 percent—were optimistic about the Trump administration's ability to deal with the China-caused pandemic. A similar majority—53 percent—said President Trump was doing a good job of handling the coronavirus outbreak.
The poll findings are in line with other recent surveys that have confounded the national media. As it turns out, the American people view Trump's handling of the pandemic far more positively than the media would prefer. The most recent Gallup survey, for example, showed Trump's approval rating at 49 percent—the highest of his presidency—which represents a 5-point increase since early March.