Earlier this summer, it was famously claimed that Donald Trump had made over 20,000 lies during his presidential term.  Given such a backdrop, it’s perhaps easy to understand how it’s difficult for people to take what he says particularly seriously.  Nonetheless, in times of emergency, such as during the Covid-19 pandemic, it’s vital that people can trust what he says.

Unfortunately, new research from the University of Connecticut suggests that whenever messaging around the virus is tied to him, it becomes less effective as a result.

The researchers conducted an experiment featuring around 1,000 American adults, who were shown a range of coronavirus safety messages, such as encouraging mark wearing or social distancing.  The messages varied in a number of ways, such as who was attributed as the source of the message.  Sometimes this would be the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), sometimes it would be Donald Trump, sometimes it would be both together, and sometimes it would be a local or state health agency.

Diluting the message

The results show that whenever Trump’s name was linked with the message, its effectiveness decreased.  Indeed, messages purported to be from him were less effective than those with no source at all.

“Asking the public to restrict their behavior and social ties in such a big way is a difficult sell,” the researchers explain. “For these prevention messages to be believed, they have to come from a trusted source. We are in uncharted waters when it comes to effectively persuading people to wear masks and socially distance, and that’s why we thought conducting this study was so important.”

The research was motivated by the receipt of a postcard encouraging various social distancing measures, with the card heavily featuring Trump.  It prompted the researchers to question whether such an approach would be more effective than one in which public health agencies are at the forefront.

Interestingly, the results of the experiment show that Trump’s association weakened the effect of the messaging even among those who trust and approach of the president.

“Linking President Trump to prevention messages seems to work to the detriment of what those messages were trying to do,” the researchers explain.

The researchers hope to conduct a follow-up study that explores how the various forms of messaging used during the pandemic have affected engagement among the public in behaviors such as mask wearing and social distancing.

“I think behavioral science has a lot to contribute to stopping COVID-19, but so far, its potential has been underrealized and underutilized,” the researchers conclude. “Until we have better treatments or a vaccine, a big part of stopping the spread of this disease is going to be about changing behavior.”