POLL: ANGST IN THE AIR OVER WASHINGTON, TRUMP
Americans increasingly view the investigations into Russian meddling in the 2016 election as a serious concern, a USA TODAY/Suffolk University Poll finds, amid rising anxiety about President Trump’s leadership and the nation’s direction. How are Americans feeling? Try “alarmed,” the option chosen by 42% of those surveyed when asked how they felt when they think about how things are in Washington. An additional 33% feel “uneasy.” Just 11% choose “excited.”
The air of angst is bipartisan. Nine of 10 Democrats feel uneasy or alarmed; so do a majority of Republicans. David Paleologos, director of the Suffolk University Political Research Center, says the poll signals “an overall sense that Washington, D.C., is wilting as summer’s heat sets in.”
The health care debate is driving a sense of turmoil and uncertainty for some. So are the widening Russia inquiries by special counsel Robert Mueller and five congressional committees.
In the USA TODAY/Suffolk poll in March, 62% saw the Russia allegations as a very or somewhat serious issue. That has jumped to 73%, including nearly half of Republicans.
“There’s all this smoke going on, and so far no one’s come out with any fire” on Trump himself, says Jerry Kellum, 77, a Democrat from Cedarburg, Wis., who was among those surveyed. “I don’t think Trump’s ... talking to (Russian leader Vladimir) Putin saying, ‘Do this and this and this,’ but I do think something is up.”
The Russia cloud and Trump’s failure so far to enact his major legislative goals seem to be sapping his standing. His approval-disapproval rating stands at 42%-53%. Three months ago, it was 47%-44%.
Of more concern to some Trump allies is the intensity of opposition. Now 38% say they “strongly disapprove” of how he’s handling his job; just 16% “strongly approve.”
Yet nearly four in 10 agree with him that the Russia investigations are a “witch hunt.”
The poll of 1,000 registered voters, taken Saturday through Tuesday, has a margin of error of +/-3 percentage points.