Fox News Poll: Record support for Trump impeachment

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Democrats accuse Trump of obstruction as White House steps up pushback against impeachment inquiry

Georgia Republican Rep. Doug Collins says in order for the impeachment inquiry to be fair it needs to be voted on in the House. Collins says if it were formally voted on the House minority would have subpoena rights.

Just over half of voters want President Trump impeached and removed from office, according to a Fox News Poll released Wednesday.

A new high of 51 percent wants Trump impeached and removed from office, another 4 percent want him impeached but not removed, and 40 percent oppose impeachment altogether. In July, 42 percent favored impeachment and removal, while 5 percent said impeach but don’t remove him, and 45 percent opposed impeachment. 

Since July, support for impeachment increased among voters of all stripes: up 11 points among Democrats, 5 points among Republicans and 3 among independents. Support also went up among some of Trump’s key constituencies, including white evangelical Christians (+5 points), white men without a college degree (+8), and rural whites (+10).

CLICK HERE TO READ THE POLL RESULTS

Among voters in swing counties (where Hillary Clinton and Trump were within 10 points in 2016), support for impeachment increased to 52 percent, up from 42 percent in July. 

A lot has happened since the July Fox poll on impeachment -- namely, the launch of an impeachment inquiry in the House following allegations Trump improperly pressured Ukraine to investigate the Bidens’ dealings in that country. The 9-point increase in support for impeachment since July, however, doesn’t appear to be based solely on the latest allegations. To that point, more Democrats favor impeaching Trump (85 percent) than consider his call with Ukraine’s president an impeachable offense (76 percent). The same holds true among independents: 39 percent favor impeachment, while 30 percent describe the Ukraine call as impeachable. 

The 4-in-10 voters opposing impeachment give a variety of reasons, including: Trump did nothing wrong (21 percent), it is politically motivated (20 percent), and don’t believe allegations (15 percent). 

Approval of Trump’s job performance is down a couple of points to 43 percent, while 55 percent disapprove. Last month, it was 45-54 percent.  Currently, 86 percent of Republicans approve compared to 89 percent in September.

Some 51 percent of voters think the Trump administration is more corrupt than previous administrations, up from 46 percent last month.

By a 66-25 percent margin, voters say it is generally inappropriate for Trump to ask foreign leaders to investigate political rivals.

When asked about Trump’s phone call with his Ukrainian counterpart that is at the heart of the impeachment inquiry, 17 percent believe it was appropriate. Most either describe it as an impeachable offense (43 percent) or as inappropriate but not impeachable (27 percent).

Trump has called the Ukraine phone call “perfect.” Even some Republicans aren’t convinced: 9 percent say it was an impeachable offense, 38 percent inappropriate but not impeachable, and 36 percent appropriate.

Overall, by an 11-point margin, more voters believe Trump is “getting what he deserves” rather than that the impeachment inquiry is driven by “people out to get him.”

During President Bill Clinton’s 1998 impeachment, by a 3-point margin, more thought “people were out to get” him than believed Clinton was “getting what he deserved.”

LEGAL EXPERTS WEIGH IN AS WHITE HOUSE OBJECTS TO INQUIRY

Meanwhile, voters think President Trump is just out for himself. Fifty-five percent overall and 18 percent of Republicans say he is doing what’s best for Trump. Thirty-nine percent think he puts the country first. 

Thirty-eight percent find the situation surrounding Trump’s dealings with Ukraine extremely troubling, while 19 percent say the same about the allegations about Biden and his son’s business dealings in Ukraine.

Washington leaders remain unpopular

Negative views outnumber positive views for the impeachment players. 

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s personal favorability rating is under water by 6 points (42 percent favorable vs. 48 percent unfavorable). Still, that’s a new high, and gives her the highest favorable rating of Capitol Hill leadership tested in the poll. 

House Intelligence Committee Chair Adam Schiff (D-CA) is also viewed more negatively than positively by 6 points (27-33), although 4 voters in 10 are unable to rate him. 

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is in negative territory by 23 points (26-49) and 25 percent can’t rate him. Voters have a negative view of both Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani by 22 points (31-53) and Attorney General William Barr by 14 points (24-38). 

Trump’s popularity ticked up a point since the inquiry: 43-56 percent vs. 42-56 percent in August. 

Hillary Clinton’s ratings roughly match Trump’s:  41 percent favorable, 54 percent unfavorable. The previous Fox News poll showed her at 40-57 percent in June 2017.

Vice President Mike Pence stands at 40-49 percent compared to 39-48 percent two months ago. 

Trump has an 84 percent favorable among Republicans compared to 70 percent for Pence and 43 percent for McConnell, while 69 percent of Democrats have a favorable view of Pelosi.

More have a positive rather than a negative view of the Democratic Party by 2 points (49 favorable vs. 47 unfavorable), while the Republican Party is under water by 15 (40-55).  Part of that is explained by more Democrats (85 percent favorable) viewing their party positively than Republicans do theirs (79 percent favorable). 

Voters are inclined to see the motives of Republican lawmakers as more political. By a 3-point margin, more think congressional Democrats truly believe Trump committed an impeachable offense than say Democrats just want to hurt him politically. 

On the other side, by a 23-point margin, more think congressional Republicans just want to protect Trump politically than say GOP lawmakers sincerely believe what he did is not impeachable.

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Overall, voters remain dissatisfied with the job Congress is doing: 21 percent approve, while 63 percent disapprove.  In May, it was 21-66 percent. 

Conducted October 6-8, 2019 under the joint direction of Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company (R), this Fox News Poll includes interviews with 1,003 randomly chosen registered voters nationwide who spoke with live interviewers on both landlines and cellphones. The poll has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus three percentage points for all registered voters.