87% Of The States That Have Reopened Voted For Trump In 2016

TOPLINE

An overwhelming majority of the states that have partially reopened so far —21 out of 24—voted for President Trump in 2016, a sign that even the coronavirus outbreak, which some have called the “great equalizer” because it has penetrated nearly every community, has created yet another line in the sand dividing Democrats and Republicans. 

KEY FACTS

Notable exceptions

Minnesota, Maine and Colorado, states that went to Hillary Clinton in 2016, have all partially reopened. And some states led by Republican governors, such as Ohio and Maryland, have yet to reopen despite mounting pressure. Pennsylvania, and some other blue states, could relax restrictions soon.

What we don’t know

If the rates of infection will increase substantially in states that reopen too quickly. Forbes contributor Kevin Murnane reports that the risk of exposure to COVID-19 in Georgia, one of the first states to reopen, has increased by more than 40% since the state reopened for business. And while the virus may have hit cities particularly hard in the beginning of the outbreak, rural communities are starting to feel the impact and are bracing for their peak, which could be weeks away. “The epicenter of this outbreak really has shifted into the smaller rural areas, small counties in western Nebraska,” Dr. Angela Hewlett, a member of the Infectious Diseases Society of America and professor at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, told CNBC. 

Surprising fact

The divide between rural and urban America is also present within states themselves—such as California and New York—where cities have been hit much harder than more rural, spread-out portions of the state. Under the reopening plans laid out by California Governor Gavin Newsom and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, less-impacted parts of the state will be allowed to open sooner than cities and suburbs.  

Key background

Trump has pressured governors to reopen their states as soon as possible, even as most states have failed to meet White House guidelines on reopening. The president, for instance, heaped praise on Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s decision to reopen the state in a message on Twitter last Tuesday, saying the governor is doing a “great job.” The White House guidelines specify that states should have a two-week downward trajectory of cases and have widespread testing capacity before they begin to reopen. But, under pressure from Trump and some constituents to ease social distancing restrictions that have crippled the economy, some governors have overlooked the guidelines and reopened anyway.

Crucial quote

Dr. Anthony Fauci has cautioned governors against “leapfrogging” the White House guidelines, even as almost every state that has reopened has done just that.

“There are some states, some cities, or what have you, who are looking at that and kind of leapfrogging over the first checkpoint,” Fauci said last Thursday during CNN’s coronavirus town hall. “And I mean obviously you could get away with that, but you are making a really significant risk. I hope they can actually handle any rebound that they see.” 

Tangent

Trump told the New York Post on Monday that it would be unfair to Republicans if Congress helps bail out states with federal aid because the states that would benefit most are run by Democrats. “It’s not fair to the Republicans because all the states that need help—they’re run by Democrats in every case. Florida is doing phenomenal, Texas is doing phenomenal, the Midwest is, you know, fantastic—very little debt,” Trump said. 

Further reading

The Coronavirus Isn’t Just A Blue State Problem (FiveThirtyEight)

See Which States Are Reopening and Which Are Still Shut Down (New York Times
NYT
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Democrats and Republicans Live in Different Worlds (Wall Street Journal)

Governors From Both Parties Slam Trump’s Claims About Testing: ‘Delusional’ And ‘Not Accurate’ (Forbes)

See Which States Are Reopening and Which Are Still Shut Down (New York Times)

Trump cheers on governors even as they ignore White House coronavirus guidelines in race to reopen (Washington Post)

Americans widely oppose reopening most businesses, despite easing of restrictions in some states, Post-U. Md. poll finds (Forbes)