Poll: 4 in 10 believe Trump should be removed from office

The proportion of Americans who support impeaching President Donald Trump and removing him from office has increased 10 percentage points from six months ago, a new PRRI poll finds.

Four in 10 Americans now believe Trump should be impeached and removed from office.

Six months ago, 30 percent of Americans expressed support for impeachment.

Much of the increase is due to a jump in favor of impeachment among Democrats — from 58 percent in February to 72 percent today — and independents — from 27 percent to 38 percent.

About 7 percent of Republicans believe the president should be impeached and removed from office, a number virtually unchanged since February.

The poll also showed about 48 percent of Americans believe there is clear evidence Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election to help the Trump campaign.

These views differ sharply by party: 80 percent of Democrats but only 20 percent of Republicans agree that Russia interfered.

The survey also found a gaping gender divide in views about impeachment.

Nearly half of women say the president should be impeached and removed from office, compared to slightly less than one-third of men.

“Opposition to President Trump among women is solidifying,” said PRRI research director Dan Cox. “On the question of impeachment, the gender gap has widened considerably. Many women gave the president the benefit of the doubt in February, but they are no longer doing so.”

Americans remain divided over whether Trump has acted in ways that violate the U.S. Constitution.

Approximately half of the public believes Trump has violated the Constitution, while 43% disagree. Notably, there has been virtually no shift in views about whether Trump violated the Constitution over the past six months.

Trump’s popularity

Trump is markedly less popular than former Republican presidents George W. Bush and Ronald Reagan. Fewer than four in 10 Americans report a favorable view of President Trump and 56 percent of Americans have an unfavorable opinion of him.

By contrast, majorities of Americans hold favorable views of George W. Bush and Ronald Reagan.

Republicans hold all three Republican presidents in high regard: 79 percent of Republicans have a favorable opinion of Trump, more than eight in 10 have favorable views for Bush and 91 percent have a favorable opinion of Reagan.

Views on Russia

Americans express generally negative feelings about Russia and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Nearly six in 10 Americans express an unfavorable opinion of Russia, while only one-quarter have a positive view.

A majority sees Russia as either an enemy or as unfriendly.