Page 17 - HOH

A4 U.S. NEWS
Wednesday 18 december 2019

Americans steadfastly divided

over impeachment as vote nears

By HANNAH FINGERHUT nounced the start of an New polls from The Wash-
and EMILY SWANSON impeachment inquiry on ington Post/ABC News and
Associated Press Sept. 24 show that Ameri- CNN find support for im-
WASHINGTON (AP) — As cans are closely divided peachment and removal
the U.S. House of Repre- over whether Trump should remains at about half of
sentatives prepares to take be removed from office. Americans.
a historic vote on the im- Heated public hearings Support for removing the
peachment of President on network television that president saw a one-time
Donald Trump, the Ameri- reached millions of Ameri- increase in the wake of
Ray Bonachea holds a sign in favor of the impeachment of can public is following cans alongside a White Pelosi's September an-
President Donald Trump, outside of the Trump National Doral along, steadfast in its views. House on the defensive nouncement of an official
Miami golf resort, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2019, in Doral, Fla. Many polls since House have done little to move inquiry. Earlier this year,
Associated Press Speaker Nancy Pelosi an- public opinion on the issue. polls showed a majority op-
And there's little sign that posed to impeachment.
the inquiry has had any Both polls find less than half
impact on Trump himself, of Americans approving of
whose approval rating has how either congressional
not strayed from the range Democrats or Republicans
it's been throughout his — or Trump — have han-
presidency. dled the inquiry.
The impeachment articles Still, the Post/ABC poll
accuse Trump of abuse of finds that a slim majority of
power and obstruction of Americans, 55%, think the
Congress. The House has hearings in House commit-
spent weeks investigating tees have been fair to the
whether the president vio- president.
lated his oath of office by ___
asking the government of LOOKING BACK
Ukraine to investigate his Today's presidential im-
political opponent. peachment inquiry is only
___ the fourth in U.S. history,
CONSISTENT (AND POLAR- and polling demonstrates
IZED) VIEWS OF TRUMP how public opinion fluctu-
Approval of Trump's overall ated — or didn't — as im-
performance has largely peachment proceedings
held steady, even as the progressed.
impeachment proceed- Approval of President Bill
ings have carried on. A Clinton actually ticked
new AP-NORC Center for up immediately after the
Public Affairs Research poll House vote to impeach
has Trump's approval rat- him in December 1998.
ing standing at 40%, about Though a short-lived bump,
where it's been over the Clinton did emerge largely
last several months and unscathed from the pro-
through most of his presi- ceedings over his handling
dency. of allegations of his extra-
Views of the president marital affair with Monica
and, by extension, views Lewinsky, a White House in-
of his impeachment reflect tern. Views of his impeach-
deep political polarization. ment were fairly negative
Wide shares of Democrats throughout 1998 and 1999,
both disapprove of the with support for his remov-
president and support im- al reaching no more than
peachment, while wide about a third of Americans,
shares of Republicans ap- including just before the
prove of Trump and want House voted to approve
him to remain in office. two articles of impeach-
___ ment. In the midst of the
WHERE THINGS STAND investigation, q