The Democrats’ partisan committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol continues to be an epic public relations fail.
Monmouth University on Tuesday released a new poll that showed the anti-Trump show trial “hasn’t moved the needle with the American public.”
“In general, public opinion stands pretty much the same as it was before recent headline-grabbing testimony of former presidential aides during the last three public hearings,” the pollster said. “This is true of both [former President Donald] Trump’s culpability in the attack on the Capitol and claims of election fraud. In fact, Trump’s favorability rating is nearly identical to where it stood immediately after the 2020 election.”
In a statement, Patrick Murray, director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute, noted, “When we released our June poll, I said the committee was preaching to the choir. These current results suggest they haven’t recruited any new singers since then.”
The numbers tell that story.
In late June, immediately before former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson testified that Trump excused armed protesters and tried to choke a Secret Service agent, 42 percent of those polled by Monmouth said Trump was “directly responsible” for the riot.
In the news: Rep. Gaetz Forces Media Group To Correct Article Claiming No Trump Endorsement
Now, after three rounds of allegedly blockbuster testimony, that number stands at 38 percent.
Meanwhile, the ratio of those who say their minds have been changed went up from 6 percent in June to 8 percent today. It’s unclear whether changing their minds meant Trump is more or less to blame, or whether the riot was an “insurrection.’
“The sensational revelations during the hearings do not seem to have moved the public opinion needle on Trump’s culpability for either the riot or his spurious election fraud claims. This continues to give political cover to Republican leaders who avoid addressing the damage done to our democratic processes that day,” said Murray.
Yet perhaps the biggest insult to the committee, and to Democrats generally, is that Trump boasts a higher approval rating than President Joe Biden.
Monmouth found that 40 percent of Americans have a “favorable” view of Trump. Biden’s approval rating as of Tuesday, according to FiveThirtyEight.com, was 39.6 percent.
The poll found that both Trump’s overall approval rating and his high standing among Republicans specifically remain “virtually unchanged” from November 2020. Monmouth found that 40 percent would definitely or probably vote for Trump if he runs in 2024.
“As we have seen from the success of Trump-endorsed candidates in recent primaries, he continues to hold sway over a large portion of the Republican base,” Murray said. “That doesn’t necessarily make him a shoo-in for the nomination in 2024, but he remains a formidable presence.”
In the news: Florida Gov. DeSantis Re-Election Campaign Launches New Ad: “Freedom is Here to Stay”
The survey included 26 percent Republicans, 29 percent Democrats, and 45 percent independents.
The embarrassment for the Democrats in the Monmouth poll has surfaced previously.
As The Free Press has reported, a Harvard University poll in July found that Trump was the most popular political figure in the country. He scored a 42 percent approval rating, the highest among 17 politicians included in the survey.
In mid-June, a Yahoo News/YouGov poll reported that Trump would beat Biden in a rematch 44 percent to 42 percent, The Free Press reported at the time.
Aside from the Monmouth results, the election season is offering more proof of Trump’s popularity, especially among Republicans.
Ten GOP lawmakers voted to impeach Trump after the Jan.6 riot.
As Politico reported Tuesday, three lost to primary challengers, four have opted to leave Congress, including J6 Committee member Rep. Adam Kinzinger, and two survived to run in November, but only because their elections were open to all voters, not just Republicans.
Rep. Liz Cheney will learn her fate next week. She trails Trump-endorsed challenger Harriet Hageman by roughly 30 points.
The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Free Press.
Visit Tampafp.com for Politics, Tampa Area Local News, Sports, and National Headlines. Support journalism by clicking here to our GiveSendGo or sign up for our free newsletter by clicking here.
Android Users, Click Here To Download The Free Press App And Never Miss A Story. Follow Us On Facebook Here Or Twitter Here.
Copyright 2022 The Free Press, LLC, tampafp.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.