President Donald Trump's legal fate may remain uncertain, but a new poll reveals that nearly half of American voters believe he ought to be impeached.
Forty-nine percent of voters believe Trump should be impeached, compared to only 41 percent who oppose that measure, according to a new national survey by Public Policy Polling. His overall approval rating has, not surprisingly, also taken a hit. Only 38 percent of voters approve of him as of October, compared to 42 percent from September; by contrast, 56 percent disapprove of him now, as opposed to 53 percent in September.
The one bright spot for Trump is that his core supporters have stuck by him. While 83 percent don't believe that Trump's 2016 campaign worked with Russia in order to win him the election (only 7 percent feel otherwise), 79 percent feel that Trump should remain in office even if it is proved that his campaign colluded with the Russian government.
Even if Trump listens to his base, remains in office despite the ongoing scandal and somehow manages to avoid being forcibly removed via impeachment before 2020, the poll has ominous implications for his second term ambitions. His numbers were below those of every Democratic alternative who was listed as a potential opponent, never rising above 40 percent and usually stuck in 38 percent or 39 percent. The Democrats who performed best against Trump were the well-known quantities of Joe Biden (56/38) and Bernie Sanders (53/38), while the more obscure Kamala Harris (45/39) and Frederica Wilson (42/39) did worse.
Since the poll was taken, specific indictments have been made public against Trump's former campaign manager, Paul Manafort; Manafort's former business partner, Rick Gates; and former Trump adviser, George Papadopoulos.
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