In a tweet posted Sunday afternoon, President Donald Trump claimed that Democrats' poll numbers were "horrendous" after the Democratic House of Representatives voted to impeach him last week.
A new poll from Politico and Morning Consult, however, is contradicting the frequent Republican talking point that Americans are widely against impeachment.
The poll asked nearly 1400 registered voters:
"Do you approve or disapprove of the House of Representatives impeaching President Trump?"
Fifty two percent of responders strongly approved or somewhat approved of the House's decision, and 51% felt the same about the Senate voting to remove him when the impeachment goes to trial, though a removal by the Republican Senate is highly unlikely.
That number is higher than polls conducted before the House voted to officially impeach Trump, with a USA Today poll showing 51% of Americans against Trump's removal and an earlier Morning Consult poll showing only 50% in favor of it.
Impeachment was long considered politically damning to Democrats, until House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) began an impeachment inquiry into Trump's withholding of military aid from Ukraine on the condition that Ukraine's President investigate his political rival, former Vice President Joe Biden.
Pelosi indicated shortly after the vote that she would withhold the articles of impeachment from the Senate until they agree to a fair trial, rather than a quick trial designed to acquit Donald Trump. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) scoffed at the idea of being impartial jurors, with both boasting that they'd be working with the White House to minimize the stain of impeachment on Donald Trump's presidency. This is despite the oath of impartiality Senators must take before an impeachment trial.
The President blocked all of his closest advisors from complying with subpoenas from the House of Representatives, but Americans want to know what they have to say.
Fifty four percent of responders agreed that:
"The Senate should call additional witnesses because some White House staff refused to testify during the House's impeachment"
Again, Trump's removal is far from likely, but people were heartened that a majority of Americans want him removed—and it seems doubtful that the numbers will move in Trump's favor any time soon.
When asked about their views on the President's dealings with Ukraine that led to his impeachment, 52% agreed that "President Trump abused his power to influence the 2020 election."