More Americans are more likely to vote for Democrats than Republicans because of Brett Kavanaugh, the newest Supreme Court justice whom the Senate confirmed earlier this month.
A USA Today/Suffolk University poll released on Tuesday found that 35 percent of the country is more inclined to support Democrats in the midterms because of their opposition to Kavanaugh. Twenty-seven percent prefer Republican candidates who voted to confirm Kavanaugh.
More than a third of those surveyed - 37 percent - said Kavanaugh would not affect the way they vote.
The Kavanaugh effect is also giving Democrats a boost among both men and women. Men are more likely to vote Democratic because of Kavanaugh by a 3-point margin. Democrats hold a 12-point edge with women.
The poll also found that Kavanaugh's confirmation stirred up strong emotions in likely voters. Thirty-three percent said Kavanaugh made them "angry," 26 percent felt "delighted," and six percent said Kavanaugh making it to the Court "doesn't matter one way or the other."
Furthermore, 45 percent felt that Kavanaugh being on the Court is a "bad thing," compared to 35 percent who think his presence is a "good thing."
Overall, however, the Supreme Court still has the support of most Americans. Fifty-five percent hold a favorable view of the court, the survey found, versus 25 percent who view it unfavorably.
The telephone survey polled 1,000 likely voters Thursday through Monday and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
Hope is growing that momentum is swelling behind Democrats - and that it will hold.
The poll blasts a big hole in the narrative being spun by the White House.
President Donald Trump has banked on Kavanaugh motivating voters to cast their ballots for Republicans on November 6.
“I think you’re going to see a lot of things happen on Nov. 6 that would not have happened before,” Trump told reporters on October 8. “The American public has seen this charade, has seen this dishonesty by the Democrats.”
During Kavanaugh's televised swearing-in ceremony at the White House, Trump defended Kavanaugh, whom Trump sees as the true victim.
“I want to apologize to Brett and the entire Kavanaugh family for the terrible pain you have been forced to endure,” Mr. Trump said, citing “a campaign of political and personal destruction based on lies and deception.”
Trump added that Kavanaugh had been "proven innocent," though this was not true.
At a campaign rally in Missoula, Montana last Thursday, Trump predicted that Kavanaugh with help Republicans keep control of Congress.
The midterms “will be an election of Kavanaugh, the caravan, law and order, and common sense,” Trump bellowed. “It’s gonna be an election of those things: law and order, Kavanaugh, common sense, and the caravan.”
“You know what I’m talking about,” Trump said.
Kavanaugh was confirmed to the Supreme Court on October 8 with a 50-48 vote in the Senate. His nomination was rocked by several allegations of sexual assault dating back to his time in high school and college.
The FBI's follow-up investigation into the accusations was seen by Democrats as inadequate, while Republicans felt Kavanaugh had been vindicated. The country has been starkly divided since the first accounts came into the public light in September.
Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images
Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images
Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images