‘Dropping Like a Rock: Trump Gets Fact-Checked After Wild Claim That Impeachment Support is in the 20s

Steven Ryan/Getty Images

As President Donald Trump’s false claims, exaggerations, and outright lies go, this one is a whopper.

In a Monday morning tweet, the president claimed that the percentage of Americans who want him to be impeachmed is “dropping like a rock.”

“Support for Impeachment is dropping like a rock, down into the 20’s in some Polls,” Trump wrote.

Support for Impeachment is dropping like a rock, down into the 20’s in some Polls. Dems should now get down to work and finally approve USMCA, and much more!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 25, 2019

This claim appears to be a doozy. As David Martosko of the Daily Mail points out, the lowest known percentage in any recent poll done on the impeachment inquiry is 43 — from an Emerson University poll released last week.

The lowest support for impeachment in any public poll since they started coming out in September is 43% (Emerson University poll last week). None of those surveys has ever shown that 50% of the country or more opposes impeachment. https://t.co/1d8rNTKnoe

— David Martosko (@dmartosko) November 25, 2019

Martosko went on to note that the Emerson survey shows just 23.6% of independents support impeachment.

This is kinda surprising: Emerson College poll shows just 23.6% of independents support impeachment. Emerson's press release didn't mention this but it's in the crosstabs.

I'm not sure if this is what POTUS was tweeting about this morning but I think it's the most likely fit. https://t.co/1d8rNTKnoe pic.twitter.com/cIvDPwiGSm

— David Martosko (@dmartosko) November 25, 2019

But overall, the number is well into the 40s. According to data compiled by Fivethirtyeight, the last poll to show impeachment support below 40 percent was conducted in late September by Reuters/Ipsos — well before the hearings began. Most of the polls conducted in November put the number between 45-48 percent.

Twitter swiftly fact-checked Trump’s latest fantastical claim:

I have not seen a single poll showing support for impeachment in the 20s.

Rolling FiveThirtyEight average shows 51% support an inquiry, while about 46% back impeachment and removal https://t.co/vE79Wo7i5x https://t.co/jRgOh3udnR

— Jacob Pramuk (@jacobpramuk) November 25, 2019

As he has done before, the president is referring to what polls show *only about Republican respondents* not voters in general. https://t.co/VZ4yw3eEuO

— ryan teague beckwith (@ryanbeckwith) November 25, 2019

There are no such polls showing this. The majority of Americans still support impeachment. https://t.co/JgCTJO4Crx https://t.co/lbowtawZR2

— harry (@TheHarryCherry) November 25, 2019

New: The Mediaite One-Sheet "Newsletter of Newsletters"
Your daily summary and analysis of what the many, many media newsletters are saying and reporting. Subscribe now!