DeSantis’ popularity plunges and Trump’s declines as coronavirus rages on.

Public approval of Gov. Ron DeSantis has plunged as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to rage, and Floridians have also turned more negative toward President Donald Trump.

DeSantis had enjoyed sky-high public approval ratings in the year or so after he took office in January 2019.

There’s been a dramatic shift.

A Quinnipiac University Poll released Thursday found 41% approve and 52% disapprove of his performance — a net negative of 11 percentage points.

In April, when the coronavirus pandemic was in an earlier stage and it appeared as if Florida was not as hard hit as other places, 53% approved of DeSantis’ job performance and 33% disapproved — a net positive of 20 points.

That means he’s had a 31-point swing in his net approval over three months.

In June 2019, Quinnipiac found 55% of Florida voters approved of DeSantis’ performance, with 22% disapproving. That represented a net positive of 33 percentage points.

A separate question, specifically about DeSantis’ handling of the coronavirus, found 38% approve and 57% disapprove (negative 19 percentage points). That’s down sharply from April, when 50% approved and 41% disapproved of DeSantis’ handling of the pandemic (positive 9 points).

Trump also down

Trump’s overall performance had the approval of 40% of Florida voters in the latest Quinnipiac poll and 58% disapproved. That’s a net negative of 18 percentage points.

In April, his approval was 45% and disapproval was 51%, a net negative of 6 points.

Florida voters have a slightly lower approval of Trump’s handling of the pandemic: 37% approve and 59 disapprove (negative 22 points). In April, 46% approved and 51% disapproved (negative 5 points).

Benchmark

Approval ratings weren’t much higher for Florida’s two Republican U.S. senators. But they also didn’t have disapproval numbers as high as DeSantis and Trump, who are more on the front lines making high-profile, often controversial decisions.

Scott had 41% approval and Rubio had 40% approval; 44% of voters disapproved of the performance of each.

EVAN VUCCI/AP Gov. Ron DeSantis discusses the coronavirus in the Oval Office of the White House with President Donald Trump on April 28. Floridians’ views of Trump and DeSantis have turned negative between April and July, a Quinnpiac University Poll reports.