Trump surge: New poll reveals stunning increase in people who approve the US President

This improvement in his political fortunes comes despite all the negative hullabaloo surrounding the impeachment inquiry. The latest poll was carried out by Reuters/Ipsos Core Political between December 9 and 10. It questioned a cross section of people which included supporters of both the Republicans and Democrats, as well as those who do not identify with either party, so-called independents.

One question was: “Overall, do you approve or disapprove of the way Donald Trump is handling his job as President?”

62 percent of independents said they disapproved of Trump’s performance as President, which is unchanged from the last survey carried out on November 13.

However, the number of independents who “strongly disapprove” of his performance actually decreased 10 points from 48 percent to 38 percent.

Independent voters could play a decisive role in determining who wins the next Presidential election in 2020, as their votes will be pivotal in winning key swing states.

At the same time fewer independents now believe that the US President should be impeached.

38 percent of independent voters think that Trump should be impeached, as opposed to 41 percent last time round, a drop of three points.

In a further major boost to Trump, a separate poll by Republican public affairs firm Firehouse Strategies and Optimus puts him ahead of all Democratic primary frontrunners in the three key battleground states Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

Impeachment procedures have barely dented the President’s popularity, as he looks well set to weather out the political storm.

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Those charges claim that Trump enlisted a foreign power in “corrupting” the US election process and endangered national security by asking Ukraine to investigate his political rivals, including Democrat Joe Biden, while withholding US military aid as leverage.

That benefitted Russia over the US as America’s ally fought Russian aggression, the Democrats said.

The charges claim that Trump also obstructed Congress by ordering current and former officials to defy House subpoenas for testimony and by blocking access to documents.

The nine-page impeachment resolution said that Trump’s conduct “demonstrated he will remain a threat to national security and the Constitution if allowed to remain in office.”

Democrats said they had a duty to act, because Trump has shown a pattern of behaviour that, if left unchecked, poses risks to the democratic process.

Announcing the charges under a portrait of George Washington, Democratic Representative and Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler said: “The President holds the ultimate public trust.

“When he betrays that trust and puts himself before country, he endangers the Constitution; he endangers our democracy; he endangers our national security.”

On Thursday,the House judiciary committee bore down on a vote to advance impeachment against the President.

The committee was expected to vote on Thursday afternoon to deliver the two articles to the House floor, where the full chamber could vote on whether to impeach Trump as early as Tuesday.

source: express.co.uk