The majority of Americans believe it makes more sense to focus on the 2020 election rather than to rely on impeachment in order to get President Trump “out of office,” a Monmouth University poll released on Tuesday shows.
The poll, taken October 30–November 3, 2019, among 908 U.S. adults, found that the majority of Americans — regardless if they support the partisan impeachment inquiry or not — believe it is better to focus on the 2020 election rather than an impeachment trial in order to remove Trump from office.
According to the poll, 59 percent of Americans agree that “if you want Trump out of office, it makes more sense to focus on next year’s election rather than go through an impeachment process now.” Even 39 percent of those who support pursuing impeachment in the hopes of removing Trump also believe that it makes more sense to focus on the election. Only 34 percent of the general public disagrees.
“Even many who would like to impeach Trump seem to feel that beating him at the polls in 2020 is actually a better strategy for ousting him from office,” Monmouth University Polling Institute’s Director Patrick Murray stated.
Overall, the survey found that just over half, 51 percent, of Americans oppose Trump being impeached and removed from office, while 44 percent support it. While 51 percent support the idea of the House conducting an inquiry, public trust in the inquiry remains relatively low.
Per Monmouth:
Just 24% say they have a lot of trust in how the House impeachment inquiry has been Monmouth University Polling Institute 11/05/19 3 conducted so far, 29% have a little trust, and 44% have no trust at all. Among those who support impeaching and removing Trump from office, 46% have a lot of trust in the process so far, 40% have a little trust, and 12% have no trust. Among those who oppose impeachment, just 6% have a lot of trust and 20% have a little trust, while 71% have no trust.
Fifty percent of the public believes that public impeachment hearings will “increase trust,” while 29 percent say it will not make a difference.
House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-CA) announced on Wednesday that two open hearings are taking place next week:
Next week, the House Intelligence Committee will hold its first open hearings as part of the impeachment inquiry.
On Wednesday, November 13, 2019, we will hear from William Taylor and George Kent.
On Friday, November 15, 2019, we will hear from Marie Yovanovitch.
More to come.
— Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) November 6, 2019
Further findings highlighted the partisan nature of the impeachment inquiry, with 60 percent of Americans saying Democrats are “more interested in finding ways to bring down Trump” than pursuing facts and 61 percent indicating that Republicans are “more interested in finding ways to defend Trump.”
Less than a quarter, 24 percent, of Americans believe an impeachment trial in a Senate would lead to Trump’s removal.
The survey’s margin of error is +/- 3.3 percent.
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