Donald Trump Thanks Nancy Pelosi For Improving His And GOP Poll Numbers
Earlier this week, the Republican Party-controlled United States Senate voted to acquit President Donald Trump, finalizing the impeachment trial and clearing the commander-in-chief of all charges. All Democrats voted to convict Trump, but only one Republican, Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah, voted to convict him on the charge of abuse of power.
Having emerged victorious from the impeachment trial, Trump is now thanking Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi for improving his and the Republican Party’s approval ratings. In a Twitter message posted on Saturday, Trump sarcastically expressed gratitude, suggesting that impeachment will help the GOP win races in the states of Arizona, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Colorado.
“Crazy Nancy Pelosi’s Impeachment Hoax has lifted Republican Congressional Polls (she lost the House once before!), and my Polls, WAY UP, which was expected, but it has had a great effect on Republican Senate races, including North Carolina, Kentucky, Colorado and Arizona. Thanks!”
It is unclear if Trump is referencing a particular poll, but the suggestion that his and the GOP’s numbers have gone up appears to hold water. According to new research from Gallup, impeachment has indeed helped both the president and the Republican Party, while seemingly hurting Democrats’ electoral prospects.
According to Gallup, Trump’s job approval rating has risen to an all-time high of 49 percent. His approval rating among Republicans is exceptionally high, 94 percent. The president’s approval rating among independents has also risen, to 42 percent. Furthermore, Americans approve of Trump’s economic policies, with confidence in the economy being the highest in two decades.
The image of the Republican Party has also improved, exceeding 50 percent for the first time since 2005. Forty-five percent of Americans have a positive opinion of the Democratic Party, according to Gallup. Similarly, 48 percent of Americans now identify as Republicans, compared to 44 percent of those who consider themselves Democrats.
Democrats will never stop extending the hand of friendship to get the job done #ForThePeople. We will work to find common ground where we can, but will stand our ground where we cannot. #SOTU pic.twitter.com/ELJqR9q4xD
— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) February 5, 2020
As Gallup notes, public opinion similarly shifted following former President Bill Clinton’s impeachment and acquittal. Clinton’s approval ratings spiked to 73 percent after impeachment and the Democratic Party experienced an increase in popularity as well as a spike in party identification.
“Whether the rise in Trump’s approval rating and the Republican Party’s image is being driven by a backlash against impeachment, the strong economy or other factors may become clearer in the near future,” Gallup concluded, adding that Trump’s approval rating “may revert quickly” if it is impeachment based.
However, if it is not — if the spike in approval ratings is caused by Americans giving the president credit for improvements in the economy — he has a good chance of being re-elected in November.
