Let them speak: Most Americans want witnesses in Trump impeachment trial - Reuters/Ipsos poll

[webfact]

Let them speak: Most Americans want witnesses in Trump impeachment trial - Reuters/Ipsos poll

By Chris Kahn

 

U.S. President Donald Trump holds a news conference at the 50th World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, January 22, 2020. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

 

(Reuters) - A bipartisan majority of Americans want to see new witnesses testify in the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump, and the public appears to be largely following the proceedings even after a bruising congressional inquiry that lasted several months, according to Reuters/Ipsos polling released Wednesday.

 

The poll, which ran from Jan. 17-22, also showed that U.S. public opinion has moved little since the U.S. House of Representatives impeached Trump in mid-December.

 

About 44% of adults in the United States say Trump should be removed from office, another 15% say he should be reprimanded formally with a congressional censure, and 31% said the charges should be dismissed.

 

Trump so far has blocked the Democrats' requests for documents related to the administration's activities in Ukraine last year. He has also urged officials like former national security adviser John Bolton and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo not to participate.

 

Republicans in the Senate so far have backed up the president, rejecting requests for White House documents and interviews with administration officials.

 

The poll showed that Republicans and Democrats want to see people like Bolton and Pompeo tell the Senate what they know about the administration's policies in Ukraine.

 

About 72% agreed that the trial "should allow witnesses with firsthand knowledge of the impeachment charges to testify," including 84% of Democrats and 69% of Republicans. And 70% of the public, including 80% of Democrats and 73% of Republicans, said senators should "act as impartial jurors" during the trial.

 

About 40% of Americans said they had a favourable view of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, while 60% said they have an unfavourable view of him.

 

The poll showed that two out of three Americans are paying attention to the proceedings, with Democrats more interested than Republicans.

About 12% said they plan to watch the trial every day, while 17% planned to watch a few times a week, and 36% said they would check in on the trial afterward through news reports.

 

Despite their expressed interest in the trial, Americans were divided over giving the press more access to the Senate proceedings, which the Senate has largely restricted for the trial.

 

About 46% agreed that journalists should be allowed to enter the Senate chamber with cameras and cover the trial. Another 41% disagreed, and 13% said they did not know.

 

The Reuters/Ipsos poll was conducted online, in English, throughout the United States. It gathered responses in two waves: the first was conducted Jan. 17-21 and asked 1,116 people about their interest in following the trial. The second was conducted Jan. 21-22 and asked 1,108 people about whether to remove Trump from office.

 

Both polls have a credibility interval, a measure of precision, of about 5 percentage points.

 

(Reporting by Chris Kahn in New York; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-01-23

Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking Thailand news and visa info

[Tug]

2020 is just around the corner!the republicans will be slaughtered if they won’t allow a real trial and not about the Bidens this is about Donald obstructing and extorting all in a desperate attempt to slander joe Biden what an absolute fiasco trump is just unbelievable 

[Puchaiyank]

The "show" must go on!  It is all they have.  Show your disdain for waisting American's time by throwing the Dems to the curb next Nov...

[sirineou]

I hope the Republicans continue on the path they are on. It will show the country what they really are. 

[neeray]

1 hour ago, TopDeadSenter said:

As much as we all want Hunter and Joe Biden hauled up

OMG, I didn't realize until now that you speak for so many ... "we all ".

 

And like @Chomper Higgot ask you so nicely... "You did read the OP didn’t you?!"

If not, I suggest you do, it shreds the "we all" bit.

[mogandave]

5 minutes ago, sirineou said:

I hope the Republicans continue on the path they are on.

 

I’ll hope along with you.

 

5 minutes ago, sirineou said:

It will show the country what they really are. 

And more importantly, it will help expose the left for what they are. 
 

 

[mogandave]

2 minutes ago, neeray said:

OMG, I didn't realize until now that you speak for so many ... "we all ".

 

And like @Chomper Higgot ask you so nicely... "You did read the OP didn’t you?!"

If not, I suggest you do, it shreds the "we all" bit.

Yes, clearly the left wants Biden handled with kid gloves. 

[AlexRich]

MAGA logic ... if Joe Biden’s son makes a fortune in Ukraine because of who he is, then it’s okay for Donald Trump to be a crook? 

[AlexRich]

5 minutes ago, mogandave said:

Yes, clearly the left wants Biden handled with kid gloves. 

By the same token how qualified are Ivanka and Kuchner for the positions they hold? And were Qatar the victims of a “shakedown” over the Kuchner property loan?  

[mogandave]

14 minutes ago, AlexRich said:

MAGA logic ... if Joe Biden’s son makes a fortune in Ukraine because of who he is, then it’s okay for Donald Trump to be a crook? 

It’s only the left that thinks he’s a crook. 
 

To people not on the left, asking a foreign government to investigate possible corruption and interference with the 2016 election seems reasonable. 

[mogandave]

13 minutes ago, AlexRich said:

By the same token how qualified are Ivanka and Kuchner for the positions they hold? And were Qatar the victims of a “shakedown” over the Kuchner property loan?  

What positions do they hold? 

[Berkshire]

3 hours ago, mogandave said:

It’s only the left that thinks he’s a crook. 
 

To people not on the left, asking a foreign government to investigate possible corruption and interference with the 2016 election seems reasonable. 

Trump doesn't care about corruption in the Ukraine.  He didn't even care if the Ukraine government conducted an investigation on the Bidens.  All Trump wanted was for the Ukraine government to "announce" that they were conducting an investigation.  This is one of the facts that came out of the House's impeachment inquiry.   

[mogandave]

2 minutes ago, Berkshire said:

Trump doesn't care about corruption in the Ukraine.  He didn't even care if the Ukraine government conducted an investigation on the Bidens.  All Trump wanted was for the Ukraine government to "announce" that they were conducting an investigation.  This is one of the facts that came out of the House's impeachment inquiry.   

One of the allegations that came out of the House’s impeachment inquiry. 
 

Why did the House not take the time to hear all the witnesses they are demanding now? 

[mercman24]

well on the outside looking in, it seems that other lot done <deleted> all in the 8 years they were in office, in 3 years this guy has turned the American economy around .

[TopDeadSenter]

20 minutes ago, mercman24 said:

well on the outside looking in, it seems that other lot done <deleted> all in the 8 years they were in office, in 3 years this guy has turned the American economy around .

That is exactly why the coastal elite and socialists are in such a tizzy and need him hobbled before the savvy US electorate vote him back in for another term. He has done more in 3 years than all presidents since WW2 ended combined. Just incredible achievements, made superhuman because he did it all during the mother of all muck-flings by the opposition. I liken it to breaking the mens 100m sprint record, but doing it while towing a Mack truck. Amazing.

[Saint Nick]

5 hours ago, mogandave said:

Yes, clearly the left wants Biden handled with kid gloves. 

Says who?

If there is anything to the corruption- accusations, I want him investigated and (if so) tried.

And I am as left as it gets, in most of my world views!

So stop making things up!

[candide]

It confirms the results of a previous poll.

https://morningconsult.com/2020/01/08/most-voters-want-more-impeachment-witnesses-as-senate-prepares-for-trial/

[Sujo]

5 hours ago, mogandave said:

Yes, clearly the left wants Biden handled with kid gloves. 

Why. Investigate the bidens as well. So why hasnt the doj or even the senate started an investigation?

[bendejo]

Your boy is being tried for impeachment and all you DT fans can talk about is Biden & son? 

Really?

 

 

[Sujo]

4 hours ago, mogandave said:

It’s only the left that thinks he’s a crook. 
 

To people not on the left, asking a foreign government to investigate possible corruption and interference with the 2016 election seems reasonable. 

the constitution does not consider it reasonable.

[candide]

9 minutes ago, bendejo said:

Your boy is being tried for impeachment and all you DT fans can talk about is Biden & son? 

Really?

 

 

Exactly. Let's come back to the key issue: a large majority of voters doesn't buy Republican's lame arguments and want witnesses.

Edited January 23, 2020 by candide

[Sujo]

58 minutes ago, mogandave said:

One of the allegations that came out of the House’s impeachment inquiry. 
 

Why did the House not take the time to hear all the witnesses they are demanding now? 

Because trump wont let them. Tells congress to go to court. Bit at the same time his doj is arguing the court has no juridiction.

 

Hypocrits.

[rudi49jr]

6 hours ago, TopDeadSenter said:

more respected internationally

That’s funny, because I thought America, and Trump in particular, had become the laughing stock and international pariah that no one trusts anymore.

[darksidedog]

Several pure troll posts and replies have been removed.

Please do not post allegations that are blatantly untrue.

Warnings will follow should this continue.

[CaptRon2]

59 minutes ago, Sujo said:

the constitution does not consider it reasonable.

Please cite the section of the Constitution confirming your statement, or stop posting BS  

[CaptRon2]

57 minutes ago, Sujo said:

Because trump wont let them. Tells congress to go to court. Bit at the same time his doj is arguing the court has no juridiction.

 

Hypocrits.

The Democrats could have let the courts decide, after all that is the responsibility of the judicial branch, but they were in to much of a rush, now they want The Republican Senate to do the job they they screwed up. Pretty funny, and once again exposing how weak they are, but as a Trump supporter I have to thank them for A Slam Dunk for President Trumps second term. 

[FritsSikkink]

7 hours ago, Puchaiyank said:

The "show" must go on!  It is all they have.  Show your disdain for waisting American's time by throwing the Dems to the curb next Nov...

Trump is a criminal:

 

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/trump-tariffs-uk-iran-nuclear-deal-france-germany-eu-a9286496.html?fbclid=IwAR0JupSsMX8UeGBmbiIGwt3QK_5M7yiR9xFXN692klef58I1aMCYHbsSSUE

[Puchaiyank]

30 minutes ago, FritsSikkink said:

Trump is a criminal:

 

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/trump-tariffs-uk-iran-nuclear-deal-france-germany-eu-a9286496.html?fbclid=IwAR0JupSsMX8UeGBmbiIGwt3QK_5M7yiR9xFXN692klef58I1aMCYHbsSSUE

So was George Washington !

[Paul Henry]

Premature judgments on Tramps achievements. Obama started the economic recovery  (look at the Govt stats and records) It has started to slide and will continue under the 5 time bankrupt who still owes workers,contractors and financial institutions many millions of dollars and will probably never pay them back.Easier to declare bankruptcy again than do the honourable thing. Maybe start up another charity and university so he can milk the public again. The recession is coming and he will blame Obama or everyone else. Another promise made another promise broken.! I will fix the deficit in three years! It has now blown out to three times higher than when he came into office. The master deal maker has no idea about fiscal responsibility. Roll on November and the day of JUDGMENT.

[earlinclaifornia]

7 hours ago, mogandave said:

What positions do they hold? 

Senior advisors to the President