A new poll shows that 56% of Americans are in favor of the Senate convicting Trump and barring him from holding national office ever again. Only 43% are opposed to such an action
All throughout his presidential campaigns and controversial presidency, Donald Trump made fallacious claims about having done things no other president has ever done in the history of the United States. Well, now almost a month into his post-presidential life, a new poll reveals that the 74-year-old has finally hit a milestone no other sitting or former president has achieved after one term. A new ABC News/Ipsos poll released Sunday shows that 56% of Americans are in favor of the Senate convicting Trump and barring him from holding national office ever again. Only 43% are opposed to such an action.
Absolutely!!!!! And probably millions that voted for him do too!! Senate needs to really listen to the VOTERS on this!!! Not to the minority of Trump supporters which now is only like 38%. https://t.co/5djCB5XrYf.
— Lisa (@lisabwf) February 8, 2021
Released on the eve of former President Trump's impeachment trial in front of the Senate, the poll found that more Americans want him convicted than at any point during his first impeachment trial a year ago. The findings of the poll are more or less consistent with those of a Monmouth University poll taken at the end of January, which indicated that 57% of Americans want Trump barred from holding federal office while 52% want him convicted by the Senate. As CNN's Harry Enten points out, every single poll over the last month has shown that at least 56% of Americans believe Trump should be barred from holding or seeking federal office again.
this is healing, both sides of our beautiful country coming together to stop that tyrant, as a nation we've had our faults but I am so proud to be an American in this moment
— Beatricks F. Rontson (@Bea7669834) February 8, 2021
They say people like Trump will show you who they are from the very beginning. They also say people choose to believe or not even when Guilt is all that is there !
— Lillie Maroto Smith (@MarotoSmith) February 8, 2021
Trump didn't just incite that mob to invade the Capitol, he PLANNED it.
— LowKeyLawyer (@LawyerKey) February 8, 2021
He tweeted "BIG PROTEST IN DC ON JANUARY 6TH. BE THERE, WILL BE WILD."
There's nothing WILD about A PEACEFUL PROTEST.
There's nothing WILD about a USELESS PROTEST that on its face WOULDN'T "STOP THE STEAL" pic.twitter.com/eA7F5bwgdN
This clear plurality does not bode well for Trump's hopes of a second term in office. In fact, if the numbers are any indication, even those who voted for him in the last presidential election appear to be rethinking their support for him. At no point last year in the polling between Trump and now-President Joe Biden did Biden ever see anywhere close to 56% support in the national average. This indicates that there are likely millions of Trump 2020 voters who now want the former president barred from holding federal office ever again.
The unprecedented second impeachment trial of former President Trump will take place under extraordinary security inside the US Capitol — a physical reminder that federal officials still believe threats to lawmakers and federal buildings are possible https://t.co/HLPYtDjKFo
— CNN (@CNN) February 9, 2021
Although the poll does reveal that about 80% of Republicans don't want Trump to be kept from running for or holding federal office, this is still a clear drop from last year when Trump won more than 90% of self-identified Republicans in last fall's election. "Overall, this type of opposition to a sitting or former president after one term is historic. No other president after one term in polling history ever had an unfavorable rating or disapproval rating north of 50%. On the much harsher being barred from office question, Trump is above that milestone," Enten explains.
A majority of Americans want to bar former Pres. Trump from office. https://t.co/mlPVrPUrAr pic.twitter.com/Fjws1UzB8N
— ABC News (@ABC) February 9, 2021
Meanwhile, an average of 51% of Americans in live interview polls taken since January 20 are in favor of the Senate convicting Trump. A minority of 43% oppose this. Compared to Trump's first impeachment trial in 2020, this 8-point difference is significantly more than the 4 points between those supporting and opposing impeachment last year. No other president — except for Richard Nixon — has ever had a majority of Americans say he should be impeached by the House and convicted by the Senate. Even in Nixon's case, it was only weeks before his resignation that a clear majority believed he should be impeached and removed from office.
You know what would help this country “heal and move on”? The impeachment, conviction, and criminal prosecution of Donald J. Trump.
— Robert Reich (@RBReich) February 8, 2021
Despite the findings of these polls, it is unlikely that Trump will actually be convicted or barred from running for federal office. 80% of Republicans still support him when it comes to the Senate acquitting him, which although low, should be enough to get him through the impeachment trial unscathed. Republicans have 50 seats in the Senate and 67 votes are needed for conviction. However, Trump's likely acquittal will not be indicative of support among the larger electorate.