Reality Check: Could Impeachment Actually Help Trump's Approval Ratings?
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- President Donald Trump has condemned the Democratic impeachment hearings against him, calling them a "witch hunt." But Trump also says impeachment could help him win a second term. Is that possible?
Only two U.S. Presidents have actually been impeached: Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton. Neither one of them was removed from office. (Richard Nixon resigned before the U.S. House could vote to impeach him.)
Trump says the polls were wrong before, and Democrats want to impeach him now because he's so popular.
"I think its ridiculous. Its a witch hunt. I'm leading in the polls. They have no idea how they stop me. The only way they can try is through impeachment. This has never happened to a president before. There's never been a thing like this before. Its nonsense."
That's FALSE. Every public opinion survey has the president losing, to former Democratic Vice President Joe Biden.
- By 14 points in a FOX poll.
- By 16 points in the Quinnipiac poll.
- By 15 points in the Washington Post-ABC News poll.
And in Minnesota and Wisconsin, Trump's approval rating today is 14 points lower than when he took office in 2017, according to Morning Consult's daily tracking polls.
And yet, Trump is not wrong when he predicts impeachment will make his popularity grow. It's happened before.
According to Gallup, which has been keeping presidential poll records for decades, Nixon had a 24% approval rating when he resigned. Bill Clinton got more popular during impeachment than before, registering a 73% approval rating.
President Trump's approval rating is currently at 43%, including 87% from Republicans. That's partly why the Trump campaign raised $1 million in one day, the day Democrats announced impeachment hearings.
The latest polls from Quinnepiac show only 37% of Americans support impeachment, while 57% say they don't.
That's Reality Check.
Here Are Some Of The Sources That We Used For This Reality Check
Gallup: Donald Trump Approval Ratings
Gallup: Bill Clinton Approval Ratings
Gallup: History Shows Presidential Job Approval Ratings Can Plummet Rapidly
Morning Consult Daily Tracking Polls
The Hill: Support Limited For Removing Trump From Office
PolitiFact: Republicans Support Donald Trump, But Not As Much As He Said