Trump's attempt to shore up his base flops amid mass unrest and a global pandemic: columnist

Writing in the Washington Post this Tuesday, columnist Greg Sargent writes that President Trump's hope to use a global pandemic and the "worst civil unrest in 50 years" to solidify his grip on his base isn't turning out the way he expected.

"We know from Trump’s sliding approval and Biden’s growing lead that these efforts are failing. For now, anyway," Sargent writes.

Pointing to new analysis, specifically from Upshot's Nate Cohn, Sargent says there's a notable drop in his support from white voters.

"Cohn’s analysis finds that Trump’s slippage is driven largely by his eroding support among white voters, particularly those said to be his base," Sargent writes. "Cohn averaged together recent high-quality polls and found that Biden’s overall lead over Trump has expanded to 10 points, up from six points earlier this spring."

Another possible reason could be attributed to a "cultural shift" in America analyzed by a new Washington Post poll, which explains how white Americans perceiving the issues driving the recent protests and unrest in American cities.

"Only 35 percent of Americans overall approve of Trump’s handling of the protests, the Post poll finds. Meanwhile, 74 percent support the protests and 69 percent say the killing of George Floyd shows broader problems in how police treat black Americans," Sargent writes.

Other polling shows a "huge shift" among whites towards the grievances of protesters, Sargent adds.

Read his full analysis over at The Washington Post.