Americans divided on whistleblower
Nearly half in poll want complainant identified
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump and many of his Republican supporters have demanded the name of the whistleblower whose complaint helped spark the impeachment inquiry be publicly revealed, arguing the president has a right to face his accuser.
Nearly half of Americans agree, according to a poll from CBS News and YouGov that was released Tuesday.
Forty-seven percent say any whistleblowers in the case should be “forced to be made public,” and 53% say they should be allowed to remain anonymous.
Whistleblower advocates say identifying the person could discourage other government officials from coming forward with their concerns about potential wrongdoing. Democrats have said unmasking the whistleblower could put the person in danger without adding any value to the proceedings because many of the allegations in the complaint have been corroborated by other witnesses.
The whistleblower’s complaint shared concerns from other officials that Trump acted improperly by using military aid as leverage to pressure Ukraine into conducting investigations that would benefit him politically. Trump denied any wrongdoing, insisting that the aid was not tied to the investigations and that he only asked Ukraine to address corruption.
According to Tuesday’s poll, 26% agree that Trump’s actions regarding Ukraine were proper, and 31% say they were improper but legal. Forty-three percent say what the president did was illegal.
Trump and his supporters have accused congressional Democrats of coordinating with the whistleblower to smear the president.
When asked what they think motivated the whistleblower, 39% in the CBS-YouGov poll say the person wanted to damage Trump politically, and 37% say it was to protect U.S. interests. Twenty-three percent say they plan to wait for more evidence before drawing a conclusion.
Open hearings in the impeachment inquiry are to begin Wednesday.
Overall, 46% say Trump is doing a good job as president, and 54% say he is doing a bad job. Fifty-five percent say they are optimistic about the upcoming year, and 60% indicate they are happy with the country’s economic outlook. The poll was conducted Nov. 9-11 with a margin of error of plus or minus 1.9%.