As President Trump flies toward Iowa for a campaign event with the potential to be a super spreader of COVID-19, fifty-one percent of likely voters in Iowa believe that the Supreme Court nomination process should be put on hold until after the election, and the same number believe that holding today’s event is irresponsible, according to a new poll released today by the advocacy group Progress Iowa.
“President Trump’s dangerous visit to Iowa comes as we are seeing record levels of COVID-19, and as he and Senators Grassley and Ernst have completely taken their focus away from helping Iowans who are struggling,” said Matt Sinovic, executive director of Progress Iowa. “They need to stop this Supreme Court nomination process in its tracks, and put their attention where it’s needed, on the Iowa families who desperately need their help.”
Meanwhile, President Trump’s own team in the White House says that the Iowa outbreak is causing ‘many preventable deaths’
“I fear there will be even more sickness and death after tonight’s event,” said Sinovic. “If the President has any decency or common sense left, he’ll call off the event and turn the plane around as soon as he lands. And if Senators Ernst and Grassley gave a damn about Iowans, they would have told the President to stay out of our state and stop actively trying to spread this disease.”
The poll, conducted by Public Policy Polling, surveyed 741 likely Iowa voters from October 13-14. Click here to read the Iowa poll results released today by Progress Iowa.
Key findings from the poll of likely Iowa voters include:
- 55% want the US Senate to pass coronavirus relief before considering a Supreme Court nominee; only 32% want the Supreme Court nominee first
- 51% agreed with the statement that whoever wins the Presidential election should be responsible for replacing Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the Supreme Court
- 51% believe that holding tonight’s rally is irresponsible, given the ongoing coronavirus pandemic
- More Iowans disapproved than approved of every elected official tested: President Trump (net -4), Senator Ernst (net -8), and Senator Grassley (net -1)
“These results are very clear that Iowans want to hold off on the Supreme Court nomination right now and that their concern about COVID-19 is extremely high,” said Jim Williams, Polling Analyst at Public Policy Polling. “There is also a general disapproval of the President and both of Iowa’s Senators right now, given their approval and disapproval ratings.”
A broad-based and diverse coalition of Iowans are holding ‘Our Lives Are On The Line’ events across the state this week, opposing the highly political Supreme Court nomination process and standing up for the rights of Iowans such as health care access, keeping abortion legal, the right to vote, human and civil rights, and more.
