Politics
Poll finds broad support for impeaching Trump, but voters doubt it would matter
Half of Americans support impeaching President Donald Trump, and 54% say he has committed impeachable offenses, according to a new POLITICO Poll. Yet more respondents think another impeachment would increase his popularity than reduce it, reflecting Democrats’ competing concerns about accountability and election strategy.
About half of Americans support impeaching President Donald Trump, while 54% say he has committed offenses that warrant impeachment, according to new results from a POLITICO Poll. The findings point to public concern about Trump’s conduct alongside deep skepticism that impeachment would change his presidency or political standing.
Support is strongest among voters who plan to back Democrats in the midterms: 81% of that group say Trump has committed impeachable offenses. A quarter of Republican midterm voters agree, the poll found.
More than 41% of respondents said Trump has used the presidency to benefit himself or his family financially. Asked what investigations Democrats should prioritize, about one-third chose inquiries into Trump’s personal enrichment and another third favored investigating his immigration crackdown.
But voters were unconvinced that impeachment would have a lasting effect. Majorities of both parties said Trump’s first two impeachments made no difference to him or his agenda. And 24% said a new impeachment would make him more popular, compared with 18% who expected it to make him less popular.
Democratic voters are divided over whether candidates should campaign on impeachment. Forty-three percent said candidates should promise to pursue it even if that costs votes; 41% said they should avoid the issue if doing so improves their chances of winning. Democratic leaders, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, have not committed to seeking impeachment if the party wins control of the House. Their candidates have instead emphasized investigations and congressional oversight of Trump and his associates.
The poll also found support among Democratic midterm voters for impeaching several members of Trump’s administration: 65% favored impeaching Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., 63% favored impeaching Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, 58% backed impeaching Vice President JD Vance, and 49% supported impeaching Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Fewer than half of all Americans supported impeaching any of those officials.
The results come after Trump was impeached twice by the House during his first term. In 2019, the House charged him with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress; in 2021, it impeached him for incitement of insurrection. The Senate acquitted him in both trials. Trump later returned to the White House, winning 312 electoral votes.
For Democrats, the figures underscore a strategic tension: many voters in their coalition favor impeachment, but the broader public is unsure it would weaken Trump, and Democratic voters themselves are split on whether candidates should make it a campaign promise.