coronavirus

Most Americans Want Those Protesting Stay-at-Home Orders to Stay at Home

Protesters outside the New York State Capitol. Photo: Michael Brochstein/SOPA Images/Shutterstock

Protesters demanding the end of stay-at-home orders so they can get a haircut are widely opposed by Americans of all political parties, according to a new poll from CBS News. The poll, which was conducted on 2,112 Americans from April 20 to April 22, shows that the overwhelming majority of independents and Democrats oppose the protesters that one Trump adviser compared to Rosa Parks. A slight plurality of Republicans, 46 percent, oppose them too.

The poll also asked what Donald Trump should do about the protests. Most Democrats and independents think he should discourage them, while most Republicans think he should say nothing.

The poll adds further weight to the argument that protests in the streets and Capitol lawns across the country are Astroturf movements with very small constituencies. In the past week, the Washington Post reported that pro-gun activists were the primary organizers of some protests, while the Times revealed that deep-pocketed conservative groups such as Freedom Works and Tea Party Patriots are driving turnout to the protests.

The CBS poll is full of bad news for the loudest advocates of opening up the economy right away, such as the mayor of Las Vegas who said her city should be used as a “control group” to see how many people die without social distancing. A full two-thirds of those polled said opening businesses too quickly is a bigger concern than doing it too slowly. And even more, 70 percent, said slowing the spread of the coronavirus should be a bigger priority than the economy. The voices advocating for the swift opening of the economy may be loud, but they’re very clearly in the minority.

Most Americans Want Stay-at-Home Protesters to Stay at Home