Someone prepare House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for some bad news: her impeachment efforts boosted the popularity of congressional Republicans so that now more Americans approve of congressional Republicans’ job performance than congressional Democrats’ performance.
That news comes from the latest Gallup poll released on Tuesday, the first time Gallup has asked that question since the Dec. 18 impeachment of President Trump in the U.S. House of Representatives. 40% of respondents approved of congressional Republicans while 35% approved of congressional Democrats.
Gallup noted:
The rating for Republicans in Congress has risen six percentage points since late October, before the impeachment of President Donald Trump in the U.S. House of Representatives. Over the same period, congressional Democrats’ approval rating has edged down three points and disapproval has climbed five points, from 57% to 62%. In general, congressional Democrats have historically had slightly higher job approval ratings than congressional Republicans.
Gallup pointed out that Republicans’ approval of congressional Republicans rose 13 points to 76% since October while Democrats’ 65% approval remained at the same general plateau.
Gallup also found that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s took a leap upward since October, when it languished at 27%; it now rests at 33%. Gallup stated, “Although, on a relative basis, McConnell’s favorability is not particularly high, it is his highest rating since Gallup’s first reading in 2010.”
Meanwhile, Pelosi’s unfavorable rating has risen from 50% in October to 55% now, almost as high as it was before the 2010 midterm elections when GOP retook the House, when it was 56%. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer? His 46% unfavorable rating is the highest it has ever been.
Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) was more popular with Democrats than Republicans. 56% of Democrats approved of him but only 23% of Republicans agreed. His favorable rating has risen 19 points with Democrats and plunged 22 points among Republicans.
Plenty of warnings were issued to the Democrats that an impeachment of Trump might backfire; in November FOX Business’ Stuart Varney stated, “Time to set a few things straight about impeachment. Number one: it is a purely political strategy. The Democrats intend to damage the president as much as possible right before the election. It is entirely partisan; all Republicans voted no; all but two Democrats voted yes. No matter what the lawyers say, this is not a legal issue. Are we prepared to remove this president from office on the basis of a phone call to the Ukraine? Don’t be fooled by legalisms; that is a political question.”
Varney continued, “Two: Impeachment has little or no impact on the stock market; investors are not dancing to Speaker Pelosi’s tune; investors care about profits and the economy; trade and employment. This impeachment drive hasn’t scared Wall Street; Trump doesn’t scare Wall Street, but if Sanders or Warren look likely to win next year, watch out below … Number three: There will be a backlash. Unless a real ‘high crime’ is revealed, the impeachment drive will fail in the Senate, and when it fails, voters will ask what the Democrats achieved. All they’ve done is damage a president that they hate. That’s where I’m coming from. Impeachment is all vicious politics. It will fail, and voters won’t forget.”
Video of Varney’s prescience below: