CORONAVIRUS TREND TRACKER
Nearly 3 in 4 Americans Blame the Chinese Government for America’s High Death Rate
China is the most blamed entity among Republicans, and the fourth most among Democrats

The Republican strategy of blaming China for America’s woes stemming from the coronavirus is politically potent, according to new polling: 73 percent of U.S. adults say the Chinese government bears at least some responsibility for the current deaths, tied with “Americans who didn’t socially distance” as the most blamed entity. Of the 12 groups and organizations listed in the survey, China is the most blamed entity among Republicans, and the fourth most among Democrats.

 

The share of U.S. adults who say each  are “somewhat” or “very” responsible for the current death toll in the U.S. from the COVID-19 pandemic:

 

Furthermore, a message test shows that Americans are more likely to say China gave the United States insufficient warning about the outbreak than they are to say the United States squandered time after China first alerted the global community. Asked which statement is most correct, 26 percent selected “The Chinese government gave the U.S. plenty of warning about the pandemic, but the U.S. did not use that time to better prepare for the pandemic,” while more than twice as many (56 percent) selected “The Chinese government did not give the U.S. enough warning about the pandemic, so the U.S. could not better prepare for the pandemic.”

 

 

This was originally posted to Morning Consult’s Coronavirus Trend Tracker.

By Nicholas Laughlin | Published May 8, 2020 at 2:00 pm ET.

 

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