Poll: Most Americans want Mueller to testify
Americans also believe Mueller should testify
According to a new USA TODAY poll, most Americans say the White House should comply with subpoenas issued by congressional committees.
WASHINGTON – Most Americans say the White House should comply with subpoenas for witnesses and documents issued by congressional committees investigating President Donald Trump and his administration, and by nearly 2-1 they want to hear former special counsel Robert Mueller testify publicly about his inquiry into the 2016 election.
A new USA TODAY/Suffolk University Poll finds those views aren’t simply partisan: Four in 10 Republicans say it’s important to them that Mueller testify, and three in 10 Republicans say the White House should stop making the case that some officials and former officials should defy the congressional subpoenas. Democrats and independents overwhelmingly agree.
“Everybody should be equal as far as things like that go,” said Edna Wilcock, 72, a political independent and retired pediatric nurse from Sequim, Wash., who was called in the poll. “You should testify; you should have to, and you shouldn’t be able to choose who testifies and who doesn’t.”
The White House and Congress are heading toward a showdown over Congress’ subpoena powers. The House voted along party lines last week to authorize committees to go to court to enforce them. The Judiciary Committee has been poised to sue Attorney General William Barr and former White House counsel Don McGahn for refusing to comply with subpoenas involving allegations Trump tried to obstruct Mueller’s investigation into Russian election interference, among other issues.
Since taking control of the House in January, Democrats have issued more than two dozen subpoenas targeting the Trump administration. Last week, a House panel voted to hold Barr and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross in contempt for defying subpoenas for documents about why a citizenship question was added to the 2020 Census.
On this battle, Trump is at odds with public opinion. Fifty-five percent of those surveyed said the White House should comply with the congressional subpoenas. Just 37% said the White House should continue to make the case that it’s not necessary for officials and former officials to comply.
Americans also want to hear more from Mueller. Last week, House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., said his panel was having ongoing “conversations” about Mueller’s testimony, which he said would take place before the end of the summer.
In the survey, 4 in 10 said hearing Mueller testify was “very important” and another 2 in 10 called it “somewhat important.” Thirty-seven percent said it was not particularly important or not at all important.
The poll of 1,000 registered voters, taken Tuesday through Saturday, has a margin of error of plus or minus three points.
Americans showed broad support for investigating Trump but a more limited appetite for impeaching him.