More Americans, especially Republicans, say coronavirus outbreak exaggerated, poll finds

An increasing share of Americans -- especially Republicans -- believe the coronavirus pandemic is being overexaggerated and see news about the outbreak with partisan viewpoints, according to a new Pew Research study.

Generally, nearly 64 percent of American adults believe the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and public health organizations get the facts right about COVID-19 "almost all" the time, while 30 percent say the same about the Trump administration.

The majority of self-identified Democrats believe five sources get their facts right: The CDC and public health groups at 76 percent; governors and state governments at 62 percent; local and national news media at 62 percent and 60 percent, respectively.

Only 9 percent of Democrats said the Trump administration gets its facts rights regarding the coronavirus. Among Republicans, 54 percent believe the White House presents accurate information. Meanwhile, many Republicans are skeptical about news sources, with only 38 percent believing the same for local news media and the national news media at 25 percent.

Of those who only rely on the White House for news about the pandemic, 68 percent said the outbreak has been “made a bigger deal than it really is.”

"Nearly all of those U. S. adults who say Trump is their primary information source are Republicans (fully 92 percent), yet even compared with others within their party, they stand out," the study said. "Republicans who rely on the president for COVID-19 news are 11 percentage points more likely than Republicans who turn mo... (Read more)

Latest News