Note: All data in this survey was collected before new texts were released from Dr. Fauci discussing the COVID vaccine and pregnancy.
A Napolitan News survey found that just 29% of voters give the government Good or Excellent marks for their handling of COVID. This is a new low and down 6 points from January. Thirty-seven percent (37%) rate it as Poor, a new high.
Similarly, 48% of voters say the federal government overreacted to the coronavirus pandemic in ways that did more harm than good, a new high since the question was asked in 2023. Meanwhile, 40% say the government did not overreact. These numbers are nearly identical to an older version of the question asked in 2022 which focused on city and state response.
Prior to this survey, the numbers on government overreaction barely moved, with 41% to 44% saying the government overreacted since 2023. The release of Dr. Anthony Fauci's personal diary is likely tied to this spike. It will be interesting to see if this holds, or if, like the relationship between Trump's immigration ratings and coverage of ICE in Minneapolis, the numbers shift back once COVID leaves the headlines.
In line with these beliefs, 56% say the worst of the pandemic is now Behind Us, while 26% say it is Still to Come.
But It's Not That Simple
Still, despite these numbers, voters say they would pick a candidate running on reinstituting mask mandates and lockdowns by a 51% to 38% margin. Six in 10 Republicans (62%) say they would vote for the candidate who opposed such measures, while 8 in 10 Democrats (77%) disagreed.
And, for all the talk of Fauci's diaries, his approval ratings have improved slightly since December of 2025. Currently, 44% say they have a favorable opinion of him (up four points from December) and 41% have an unfavorable opinion (down 3 points). The current numbers include 21% with a Very Favorable opinion of Dr. Fauci, while 26% have a Very Unfavorable opinion of him.
Voters are divided on if Dr. Fauci should be prosected: 41% of voters say Dr. Fauci should NOT be prosecuted for his role in the pandemic and lockdowns, while 39% say he should.
There is also gridlock on whether COVID regulations were driven more by science or ideology. Forty-two percent (42%) of voters say the regulations were driven more by science, and 42% disagree. The split is purely along partisan lines.
This data is from a Napolitan News Service survey of 1,000 Registered Voters conducted online by Scott Rasmussen, August 3-4, 2026. RMG Research, Inc., conducted the field work for the survey. It has a margin of error of +/- 3.1.
