Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Trump, Trailing In Polls, Turns To An Old Campaign Standard: Health Care
President Donald Trump is suddenly talking about health care again. He signed several executive orders on drug pricing on Friday. He vowed to unveil some new health plan by the end of next week, although he hasn鈥檛 provided specifics or an explanation of how he鈥檒l do it. His aides are touting a speech in which Trump will lay out his health care vision. White House counselor to the president Kellyanne Conway has been calling Trump 鈥渢he health care president.鈥 (McGraw and Ehley, 7/26)
A new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research also finds Trump鈥檚 approval for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic falling to a new low, with just 32% of Americans supportive of his approach. ... Even as he tries to refocus his contest with Biden on divisive cultural issues and an ominous 鈥渓aw and order鈥 message, Trump鈥檚 reelection prospects are likely to be inextricably linked to his handling of the pandemic and whether voters believe the country will head back in the right direction under his leadership. The AP-NORC poll makes clear the challenge ahead for Trump on that front: 8 in 10 Americans say the country is heading in the wrong direction. (Pace and Fingerhut, 7/26)
President Donald Trump restarted the White House coronavirus briefings. He urged Americans to wear masks. He even scrapped his party鈥檚 convention. To many of his own allies, it鈥檚 still not enough. Trump鈥檚 political allies, alarmed by his sinking poll numbers, are warning that the president鈥檚 best chance to get reelected is to outline more detailed plans to conquer the coronavirus he keeps trying to wish away. They are advising him to offer people something concrete they can look to as the pandemic surges in dozens of states, eroding months of progress. (Kumar, 7/24)
