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It emerges from a University of Chicago survey that was conducted before President Trump tested positive for the virus on Friday and was hospitalized.
Trump has long downplayed the severity of the pandemic and the effect it has had on the United States, while blaming the virus on China and other countries.
Although many share the blame for more, and although there is a clear distinction between Democrats and Republicans, 56 percent of Americans believe that the United States government bears a significant share of the responsibility.
By comparison, 47 percent attribute much of the responsibility to other countries, and 39 percent say the same about the World Health Organization (WHO).
Lack of trust
“It reflects a lack of confidence in the way the government has handled the situation,” said Austin Wright of the University of Chicago.
More than 1 million people, including more than 211,000 in the United States, have died from the virus so far, and Trump has blamed the spread of the virus on China, where it originated, and on the WHO for an inadequate response.
As the elections in which he hopes to be re-elected draw near, he has intensified criticism of China and announced that the United States is withdrawing from the WHO and halting funding for the organization due to alleged influence from China.
Democrats most critical of Trump
The poll shows that Democrats in particular believe that the US government is responsible for the situation, while Republicans blame others to a greater extent.
Among Democrats, 79 percent say the US government is largely to blame, while 37 percent say other countries are partly to blame, and 27 percent say the same about the WHO. .
Among Republicans, 38 percent say the U.S. government is responsible, while 60 percent blame other countries and 55 percent blame the WHO.
Support Trump
Ralph Martinez, a Fort Worth, Texas, store owner who calls himself a Republican, says he doesn’t know whether any government would better handle the virus and rejects criticism of Trump for downplaying seriousness.
– Honestly, it’s an open question. It’s the same for me who controls, but I think everyone does what they think is best for everyone. But how much can they really do? Says the 67-year-old.
He also praises Trump for saying he did not want to cause panic, and recalls how people initially abandoned concepts in search of toilet paper and paper towels when they realized the virus would continue.
Trump critic
Nathan O’Neill of Virginia, a 38-year-old Democrat, says the country is on the right track now, but that authorities initially reacted too late.
– I think they should have taken it much more seriously earlier, even though they were hampered by a lack of information from China and the WHO. But they should have been for bandages much earlier, he says.
– They should have told us from the beginning how serious this was. Instead, they said it would be good and it wouldn’t affect us. It will affect your credibility, says O’Neill, who knows at least one person who contracted the virus but has recovered.
Americans first
The survey also shows that a majority believe that the United States should play an important role in developing a vaccine against the virus, but many also believe that other countries, both China and Europe, have a role to play.
But if the United States develops a vaccine first, six out of ten believe Americans should have access first, even if that means fewer people in other countries get vaccinated.
This view is more prevalent among Republicans. 70 percent believe that the vaccine should be reserved for Americans, but this view is also shared by half of Democrats.
And this is true even though about half of Republicans say they have no plans to get vaccinated.
65 percent of those who want to be vaccinated believe that an American vaccine should be reserved for Americans, but so do 56 percent of those who do not want to be vaccinated.
– shocking
Wright says this is surprising and surprising.
– What’s really surprising is how surprisingly few people in America are willing to get vaccinated. The open reluctance to administer the vaccine to other countries is also striking. And this is most noticeable among Republicans, even though most Republicans say they don’t intend to vaccinate themselves, he says.
Eight out of ten, both Republicans and Democrats, believe that the United States should play an important role in developing a vaccine. Fifty-seven percent say the same about the WHO, 55 percent about European countries and 51 percent about China.
But for the question of other countries, there is also a difference between the parties. Seventy-five percent of Democrats and only 39 percent of Republicans envision a major role for the WHO.
Sixty-two percent of Democrats and 41 percent of Republicans believe China should play a role, while the difference is smaller when it comes to European countries: 64 percent Democrats and 50 percent Republicans.
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