“The once rock-solid grip that the president had on his party seems to be slipping. Talking with pollsters and strategists from both sides this week, it’s clear that Trump is suffering not just with Democrats and independents but also with GOP voters. They tell us of polling that shows Trump underwater in districts he carried easily in 2016. One GOP strategist told me that even in heavily Republican districts, Trump’s job approval rating among Republicans has dropped 10-20 points. The KFF poll released last week found Trump’s overall job approval rating among Republicans dropped 12 points between May and July. On handling coronavirus, the drop in GOP support was an even more dramatic 26 points” writes Cook Political Report National Editor Amy Walter.
“Perhaps understanding he’s losing support from his base (or more likely, as the New York Times’ Maggie Haberman, Annie Karni, and Sydney Ember wrote this week, as a result of his instinct ‘to play to his base when campaigning under pressure’), Trump has taken on the role of culture warrior instead of crisis manager.”