Ryan Nicol
Approval ratings for President Donald Trump and Gov. Ron DeSantis are falling into the red, according to a new survey.
The Florida Atlantic University Business and Economics Polling Initiative (FAU BEPI) now shows DeSantis with a -5 approval rating. That’s a 5-point drop from last month and a nearly 25-point drop in the past five months. The May version of the same poll had DeSantis with a +19 approval rating.
The FAU BEPI’s newest poll showed 43% of Floridians approve of the Governor, while 48% disapprove.
Trump’s approval rating sits at 44% while a majority of Floridians — 51% — disapprove of his performance as President. That’s a -7 rating and represents a 5-point drop from his September numbers.
The President’s overall approval ratings track nearly perfectly with his ratings on the response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Just 44% of voters said Trump’s response to the outbreak was “good” or “excellent.” Conversely, 50% of voters rated his response as “poor” or “terrible.”
DeSantis’ downslide, too, largely mirrors the surge in cases seen throughout Florida during the late spring and early summer.
As DeSantis sat at a +19 approval rating in May, Florida’s COVID-19 numbers were largely encouraging. After the state began to open in May, those numbers shot upward by June and remained high through July and August.
Infection rates, hospitalizations and deaths have since declined, and Florida is once again moving to reopen — this time even more so than in May. While a similar surge has not yet followed, voters still seem to be losing confidence in the Governor, according to the FAU BEPI survey.
DeSantis was seen appearing alongside Trump at a Monday rally in Sanford which flew in the face of public health guidelines, which recommend against large crowds. At one point, DeSantis walked alongside the crowd, high-fiving multiple attendees.
The FAU BEPI Survey ran from Oct. 9-10 and sampled 644 likely Florida voters. It has a margin of error of 3.8 percentage points.
9 comments
James Robert Miles
October 13, 2020 at 12:35 pm
Maybe John Q Public is finally realizing that the moron Trump and his butt-kisser Governor DeSatan aren’t all that they are cracked up to be! Let us hope so. VOTE HIM OUT, LOCK HIM UP!! DUMP TRUMP 2020! Stop fascism in its tracks!
Sonja Fitch
October 13, 2020 at 5:06 pm
The gross negligence of Desantis acting as if there ain’t no trumpvirus ! High five giving and hugging ! Please god protect Desantis’ children and wife! The goptrump cult is a damn DEATH cult! Vote Democrat up and down ballot for the common good!
GD
October 14, 2020 at 9:58 am
The people will only stand for so many lies and seniors do not care to be thrown under the bus and Trump’s admitting to wanting to cut SS andcutting SS funding now, is not going over well.
Neither is his racist, anti women dog whistles. Fact is Trump is Biden’s best weapon against Trump, just let him keep telling bald faced lies everyone knows are as decent people abandon him, DeSantis, the repub party which is fiscally and morally bankrupt.
Dennis
October 14, 2020 at 10:20 am
Law graduate in communications?? Couldn’t find a job as an attorney or too involved in Democratic/propaganda politics? What happens if Trump wins?? Then your rug will be pulled out from under you and you might have to find a real job. lol
Rob
October 14, 2020 at 10:21 am
Shame how many people are placed in this permanent state of irrational fear after an aggressive media campaign to force everyone indoors. Sad.
SANDY OESTREICH
October 14, 2020 at 11:38 am
Florida used to be a sunlit beach paradise. Now it’s crawling with crooked politicians who insist on opening FL back up while it’s still heavy with covid19! Trump admitted that his only covid protections offered are to OPEN UP to suit our “president” so that more will get this ugly virus!! he is literally putting us up for the gallows! yet some still speak up for him out of blind fever!
Su
October 15, 2020 at 11:03 am
The virus is the enemy, this political division is the doing of our current leadership (or lack thereof). Being neither a Republican nor Democrat I have listened intently to the direct words/messages and observed the actions of both parties. Leadership is lacking in this country, as is honesty. Do not blame the reporter. Blame is the game of our current leader when he is the actual responsible party and has created our current environment. We need true leadership. I have never favored any party. After extensive listening to each parties direct words and observing their actions since March, I will vote for a change. Do not get hung up on supporting a party just to be true to a decision you made when the party was upstanding. It is no longer what it set out to be. Look hard. Your mother surely taught you (or meant to) to be an independent thinker and not be a followers. She surely asked you if you would follow someone who jumps off a bridge.
Tim
October 15, 2020 at 6:59 pm
Agreed with Su. It the virus that is the problem and poor leadership. We citizens should not be at each others throats because our alliance is with red or blue. The virus should be a uniting factor.
Patricia
October 21, 2020 at 2:20 pm
Vote this egotistical monster out, before he exterminates the older population and kills Democracy.
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