Poll: Voters deeply divided on impeachment ahead of House vote

Voters are deeply divided on the impeachment of President Trump, according to a survey released hours before the House is expected to vote on its articles. 

The NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll found 48 percent of voters support the president’s impeachment and removal, and 48 percent disapprove. The public was evenly split along party lines, with the numbers not changing much in the months since the impeachment inquiry began, aligning with other national polls.

In the same survey in October, 49 percent of respondents said Trump should be impeached and removed from office, compared to 46 percent who disagreed. 

Democrats were found to back impeachment and removal at a rate of 83 percent, compared to 50 percent of independents. Ninety percent of Republicans were against impeachment and removal.

The president’s approval rating has also remained in the low- to mid-40s range that he has maintained throughout his presidency. 

The poll aligns with two others released Wednesday morning that showed the divisiveness of impeachment among voters. A CNBC survey found 45 percent disapproved of impeachment, 44 percent approved and 11 were not sure. A Morning Consult/Politico poll found 43 percent were against impeachment, 50 percent backed it and 7 percent were unsure or didn’t have an opinion.

Most people have made up their minds about who they will vote for in the 2020 election, no matter what happens with impeachment, according to the poll, with 48 percent saying they will vote against Trump, and 34 percent saying they will back the president. Eighteen percent say they are waiting to see who the Democratic nominee is.

The NBC News/WSJ poll surveyed 900 adults between Dec. 14 and 17. The poll overall had a margin of error of 3.3 percentage points. 

The House is expected to impeach Trump Wednesday, sending him to face trial in the GOP-majority Senate, where he will almost certainly be acquitted.