The poll, which showed Democratic support for Trump’s impeachment has fallen from 90 percent to 77 from November to December, was released Tuesday and conducted by CNN and SRSS.
Asked if the numbers have “softened a little bit,” CNN political director David Chalian noted that the numbers were taken directly after the House Intelligence Committee hearings. Chalian then connected the enthusiasm to the “damning” evidence against the president presented.
“Democrats were probably at their most enthused, engaged and in supportive mode of impeachment,” he said. In the time since,“it’s been more political warfare,” he added. But Chalian emphasized that Democrats overwhelmingly support impeachment, while Republicans oppose it overwhelmingly.
When asked to explain what he didn’t believe about the poll, Toobin clarified, “The 90 to 77 percent. I… You know, it’s just I don’t believe it, like it makes no sense that that number would change like that.”
“It’s a subset of the poll, and the margin of error when you look at just Democrats is like 6.7 percent in here. It’s not a wild swing, it’s just where the movement is in the poll. I don’t know what’s not to believe, that’s what… You know you call people up on the telephone and you get their information. You pump out a survey. This is what those that we polled told us,” said Chalain in response.
“I get it, but life has shown us that polls are sometimes wrong, and David, that poll is wrong. Just because I said so, okay?” Toobin replied.
Kirsten Powers, who said that “deep down” there was no explanation for the sudden switch in the poll numbers, said “Maybe they’re fatigued. I’m not going to go as far as Jeffrey telling David that his polls are wrong.”
The poll also shows that support for the impeachment of President Trump remains unpopular with Republicans, and even the slim margin of those who supported the president’s impeachment have gone down—5 percent from 10 percent, as polled in November.
Numbers for registered independents who support impeachment have also gone down slightly, with 45 percent approving of impeachment versus 47 in November.
When asked if a possible senate trial was likely to make them change their position, 50 percent said a trial was not likely at all to change their mind, while 22 percent said not too likely, 15 percent said somewhat likely, and nine percent said very likely.
Thirty-two percent said that the impeachment will help the president’s re-election in 2020, while 37 percent said it would have no difference.
President Trump’s approval rating overall stands at 53 percent disapproval and 43 percent approving.
The poll was conducted between December 12 and 15 among 1,005 adults “reached on landlines or cellphones by a live interviewer,” according to CNN. Its margin of error is plus or minus 3.7 percentage points.
