IL Patch Coronavirus Survey: Trump In Disfavor, Job Losses Pinch

CHICAGO — Half of Illinois residents disapprove of the federal government's response to the coronavirus pandemic, and a majority disapprove of President Donald Trump's performance during the crisis, according to an informal reader survey Patch conducted Monday.

Just over 50 percent of the survey's more than 8,500 respondents said they are dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with the federal response, compared with 39 percent who say they are either satisfied or very satisfied.

Almost 55 percent of respondents said they are either dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with the president's performance, compared with 38 percent saying they are satisfied or very satisfied. Among those expressing the strongest views about the president, those describing themselves as very dissatisfied with his performance outnumbered the very satisfied by a ratio of nearly 2 to 1.

Respondents thought better of the state government's response to the crisis, with 61 percent expressing positive views about its performance. The same proportion expressed positive views about Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker's performance.

The views on Trump's performance were comparable to those expressed by respondents to Patch's survey in other states, but Pritzker fared notably worse in those surveys than other governors.

Trump's performance was disapproved by 52 percent in New Jersey, 56 percent in Connecticut and 69 percent in Massachusetts, while New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy won approval from 70 percent of respondents in his state, Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont from 73 percent and Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker from 87 percent.

The Illinois survey, which appeared in questionnaire form earlier Monday on Patch, is meant not to be a scientific poll but only to give a broad idea of public sentiment.

The Patch survey included questions about how Illinois residents have fared in the economic downturn resulting from the pandemic, and for many the picture is grim.

About 14 percent of respondents said they had been laid off, furloughed or dismissed as a result of the pandemic, and another 18 percent said they had lost significant working hours. Thirty-two percent said a family member had lost a job, and 26 percent said a family member had lost significant working hours.

Finally, the survey asked how well respondents are complying with stay-at-home orders and social distancing guidelines.

Some 76 percent of respondents say they almost always comply with the state's stay-at-home order, and 85 percent said they almost always practice social distancing when they must leave their homes.

But respondents don't think their neighbors are doing nearly so well at following the rules. Only 23 percent said others in the community almost always comply, while 38 percent said those others often do and 32 percent said only sometimes.

Results for each of the survey's nine questions appear below.