On the same day that the House of Representatives is set to impeach Donald Trump, a new poll from Gallup shows that his approval rating has steadily risen since the impeachment inquiry began in September, and is nearly at an all-time high.
In a poll taken during the first two weeks of December, Gallup found Trump’s approval was 45 percent, up 6 percent since the start of the impeachment inquiry. Trump’s highest ever number with Gallup was 46, which he only reached once. The recent increase in Trump’s approval is driven, Gallup says, by an 8 percent jump in his number with independents. The December polls put Trump’s approval among independents at 42 percent, up from 34 percent in the early fall.
The poll also found a drop in the number of Americans who support impeaching and removing Trump. That change, Gallup notes, was also driven by independents.
Democrats (85%) remain widely supportive of impeachment and removal, while a small percentage of Republicans, 5%, agree.
The movement in the national figure mostly reflects a small shift among political independents, a slight majority of whom supported impeachment and removal in two October polls (55% and 53%), but whose support has fallen below the 50% mark in the two polls since (45% in November and 48% in the latest poll).
Gallup is among a handful of pollsters bringing Trump holiday cheer. A Fox News poll released this week showed Trump’s job approval at 45 percent, up three points from late October. That puts him roughly where he was at the beginning of the year, before the Ukraine scandal hit the headlines. Despite the approval uptick, though, the same Fox News poll found that 54 percent of respondents want Trump impeached.
A Quinnipiac University national poll released this week also had good news for Trump, putting his approval at 43 percent, tied for his highest ever number from the pollster. That’s up 5 percent from before the start of impeachment.
Mary Snow, a Quinnipiac University Polling Analyst, explained in a press release that positive views of the economy are driving Trump’s increased approval ratings.
“A 50-year low unemployment rate coupled with stocks hitting record highs are adding up to a rosy view of the economy and voters feeling optimistic about their own personal finances. That view of a strong economy seems to be helping President Trump match his highest job approval rating since being elected, despite facing becoming the third president in U.S. history to be impeached this week,” Snow said.
While Gallup, Fox News, and Quinnipiac all found Trump’s approval to be on the upswing, none found that it was higher than his disapproval rating. But when you’ve set the bar as low as Trump has, narrowing that gap can be cause for celebration.
