Eighty-three percent of respondents say they believe the president of the United States should act as the consoler in chief after a national tragedy, according to a new American Barometer survey.
Seventeen percent of those surveyed said that it was not the job of the president to act as a consoler in chief after a tragedy takes place.
“One thing that I thought was striking about this poll was the fact that there’s just agreement from everyone that it’s important,” Mallory Newall, director of public affairs for Ipsos, told Hill.TV’s Joe Concha on “What America’s Thinking” on Monday.
“You don’t see many polls these days that have bipartisan agreement. Agreement across ages, across regions of the country. A vast majority of Americans feel that it’s important for the president to play a role,” she continued.
“I think the piece of the puzzle that we’re not seeing today is their belief on the president’s performance. Is he acting as a consoler in chief?” she said.
Trump has been thrust into the role of consoler in chief during his presidency after the recent California wildfires, numerous mass shootings and hurricanes.
The poll comes as Trump and the nation prepare for a national day of mourning after former President George H.W. Bush’s death on Friday.
The American Barometer is a daily survey conducted by the HarrisX polling company on behalf of Hill.TV.
The poll was conducted on Dec. 1-2 among 1,000 registered voters. The sampling margin or error is plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.
— Julia Manchester
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