Trump's disastrous impeachment polling sends shock waves through GOP

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 09:  U.S. President Donald Trump (2nd L), Senate Majority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) (2nd R), Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY) (L) and Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO) (R) leave after the weekly Republican Senate policy luncheon at the U.S. Capitol January 09, 2019 in Washington, DC. Trump met with GOP lawmakers to shore up their resolve and support for his proposed border wall with Mexico as the partial federal government shutdown drags into a third week. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Trump's disastrous impeachment polling sends shock waves through GOP



Kerry Eleveld
Oct 11, 2019

It didn't matter which poll you looked at this week—they were all bad news for Donald Trump, as well as for GOP lawmakers seeking reelection in 2020. Public support for impeachment grew rapidly in every poll, with nearly all of them finding majority support for the inquiry and two finding 50% support or more for Trump's impeachment and removal from office. 

Rounding out the week, the NPR/Marist/PBS poll found 52% support for the impeachment inquiry in a survey that showed independent voters had flipped in mere weeks from majority opposition to the inquiry (50%-44%) to majority support for it (54%-41%). That's a 19-point swing for independents from late September to now. 

The poll also found that 61% of respondents don't think Trump shares the moral values that most Americans try to live by. And with regard to a president asking a foreign leader to investigate a political rival, fully 68% of Americans said it was not acceptable, including 64% of independents and even 40% of Republicans. 

These polls, including the Fox News poll that found majority support for Trump's removal, have reportedly sent shock waves through both Washington and Republican circles.

Former GOP Rep. Carlos Curbelo of Florida told The Hill that Republicans are starting to realize that Trump's Ukraine scandal is doing a different magnitude of damage to Trump and the GOP than the Mueller probe ever did. "This is a lot more radioactive," Curbelo said. "They are coming to terms with the fact that there is real political risk here for members in swing states and swing districts.”

Nonetheless, don't expect Republicans to flee Trump's sinking ship anytime soon—most of them still figure they can't afford to anger Trump's rabid base. That's just fine. The longer they cling to Trump, the more they repel independents, some two-thirds of whom already believe pressuring a foreign government for dirt on a rival is unacceptable. 

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