Democrats Can’t Accept ‘Normal’ Post-Pandemic

Gallup’s pollsters published a troubling discovery on Tuesday in a survey asking American adults how they were coping with post-pandemic life: For a shocking number of Americans, there is no such thing as post-pandemic life.

In the last week of February, only 33 percent of Americans said their life “is completely back to normal,” post-Covid, up modestly from October’s 31 percent. Another 20 percent said that while returning to the status quo ante was possible, it hadn’t happened for them yet. But most — 47 percent — said their lives had not returned to normal and never would.

About the Author

Noah Rothman

Noah Rothman is a senior writer at National Review. His third book, Blood and Progress: A Century of Left-Wing Violence, was published by Hachette in May 2026.

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Gallup’s pollsters published a troubling discovery on Tuesday in a survey asking American adults how they were coping with post-pandemic life: For a shocking number of Americans, there is no such thing as post-pandemic life.

In the last week of February, only 33 percent of Americans said their life “is completely back to normal,” post-Covid, up modestly from October’s 31 percent. Another 20 percent said that while returning to the status quo ante was possible, it hadn’t happened for them yet. But most — 47 percent — said their lives had not returned to normal and never would.

About the Author

Noah Rothman

Noah Rothman is a senior writer at National Review. His third book, Blood and Progress: A Century of Left-Wing Violence, was published by Hachette in May 2026.