What happens when politicians pivot during a crisis? I examine Trump’s July 2020 mask pivot. It increased Republican mask use, closing 40% of the partisan gap. But paradoxically, beliefs about masks' efficacy didn’t change. doi.org/10.1177/0003... @asanews.bsky.social #Trump #PublicHealth
When Political Pivots Shift Behaviors but Not Beliefs: Evidence from Trump’s Position Reversal over Facemasks during the COVID-19 Crisis - Bartholomew A. Konechni, 2026
Political leaders play a potentially important role shaping behaviors and beliefs during crises. In the pandemic, a number of high-status politicians, notably l...
doi.org