President Trump’s approval rating has neared 50 percent heading into the 2020 election year, according to a Hill-HarrisX poll released on Monday.
Forty-nine percent of Americans surveyed said they approve of the president’s job performance, up from 46 percent from the previous Dec. 8-9 poll. Fifty-one percent said they disapprove, a drop from 54 percent earlier this month.
Trump’s approval rating continues to be buoyed by his Republican base, where his support remains strong.
The latest survey shows that almost 9 in 10 GOP respondents — 87 percent — support Trump, compared to 22 percent of Democrats and 42 percent of independents.
The survey was conducted before the House voted last week to impeach Trump on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress but after the public impeachment hearings.
Though Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has delayed sending the articles of impeachment to the Senate, a trial in the upper chamber is expected to take place in January.
Trump has repeatedly slammed Democrats’ impeachment efforts, including their strategy to withhold the House-passed impeachment articles over concerns about a fair and impartial trial.
Trump on Monday inaccurately described the House impeachment inquiry as a “trial,” deeming the process “unfair.” He also accused Pelosi of “breaking all the rules,” warning that the delay of the Senate trial could hurt Democrats in 2020.
The president has looked to utilize impeachment to unite his base, while also pointing to a strong economy and job numbers.
The Hill-HarrisX surveyed 1,000 voters nationwide from Dec. 13-14. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.
—Tess Bonn
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