According to a new Washington Post-Ipsos poll, approval ratings for President Donald Trump’s COVID-19 response fall largely upon partisan lines, while Gov. Tom Wolf receives the full backing of Democrats and half of Republicans. 

One doesn’t need to look further than the partisan split between approval ratings of how Gov. Tom Wolf has handled COVID-19 in comparison to President Donald Trump in Pennsylvania. 

91% of Democrats and Democrat-leaning independents in Pennsylvania approve of the way that their governor has handled the coronavirus pandemic, while just 9% disapprove. 51% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents approve of the way Wolf has handled the coronavirus pandemic, while 49% disapprove. 

When Pennsylvanians were asked about Trump’s approval rating on the matter, the results shifted back to a more partisan response. 87% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents in Pennsylvania approve of Trump’s handling of COVID-19, while 13% disapprove. Just 14% of Democrats and Democrat-leaning independents approve of Trump’s handling of COVID-19, while 85% disapprove. 

Overall, 72% of Pennsylvanians support their governor’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, while 27% disapprove, leaving Wolf with a 45 point net approval rating on the matter. 45% of Pennsylvanians support Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, while 54% disapprove, resulting in the president holding a -9 point net approval rating on the issue. 

The poll included three additional questions that also portray the unity among Democrats on the matter and split between Republicans. 

62% of Republican and Republican-leaning independents in PA believe that their governor is doing enough to ensure people can return to work safely, while 37% believe Wolf is not doing enough. 77% of Democrats and Democrat-leaning independents believe Wolf is doing enough to ensure people can return to work safely, while 22% believe he isn’t doing enough.

Overall, Wolf receives nearly identical high marks on this issue with 71% of Pennsylvanians believing that he is doing enough to ensure people can return to work safely, while 28% believe he isn’t doing enough. 

The answers for Trump once again shift back to typical partisan lines. 

85% of Republican and Republican-leaning independents in PA believe that Trump is doing enough to ensure people can return to work safely, while 15% believe he isn’t doing enough. Just 10% of Democrats in the state believe that Trump is doing enough to ensure people can return to work safely, while 89% believe the president isn’t doing enough.

Trump’s net approval rating for this response was also under water. 43% said that Trump is doing enough to ensure people can return to work safely, while 56% believe that he isn’t doing enough. 

The following question didn’t include Trump, but instead asked about how the state government has applied restrictions to business activity in response to COVID-19 and shows Democrats united and Republicans torn on the issue. 

46% of Republican and Republican-leaning independents in PA believe that the state government is not lifting restrictions quickly enough, while 42% believe that the state government is handling the matter about right, and 12% saying that the state is lifting restrictions too quickly. 

75% of Democrat and Democrat-leaning independents in PA believe that the state government is handling business activity about right, while 22% believe that they are lifting restrictions too quickly. 

Overall, 59% of Pennsylvanians believe that the state government is handling business activity about right, while 23% think the state is not lifting restrictions quickly enough, and 17% said that the state is lifting restrictions too quickly. 

The final question shifted away from state government and back to how the nation as a whole should deal with the balance of slowing the spread of coronavirus vs how to get the economy going again. This question also showed Republicans divided and Democrats united. 

52% of Republican and Republican-leaning independents in PA said that the U.S. should keep trying to slow the spread of the coronavirus, even if it means keeping businesses closed, while 46% believe the nation should open up businesses and get the economy going again, even if that means more people would get the coronavirus.

91% of Democrats and Democrat-leaning independents said that the U.S. should keep trying to slow the spread of the coronavirus, even if it means keeping businesses closed, while just 8% believe the nation should open up businesses and get the economy going again, even if that means more people would get the coronavirus. 

Overall, 71% of Pennsylvanians said that U.S. should keep trying to slow spread of the coronavirus, even if that means keeping many businesses closed, while 28% said the nation should open up businesses and get the economy going again, even if that means more people would get the coronavirus. 

This poll, surveying 388 Pennsylvania adults, collected data online between April 27-May 4, 2020, has a margin of error of +/-5.5 percent.

The full crosstabs can be found here.