Most Americans think Mueller has more credibility that Trump. Imagine that.
by digby
A new poll about the public's opinion of the Mueller probe shows that most people have more faith in the Special Counsel than the President but at the same time they are withholding judgment until they see all the facts.
Huh. It almost sounds as if a majority of the American public still has a grip on reality.
Just as a reminder, the public also had a good grip on reality back in the 90s when the last special prosecutor was investigating a president:
The Post-Schar School poll finds positive overall marks for Mueller’s handling of the investigation, with 51 percent of Americans approving, 34 percent disapproving and 15 percent holding no opinion. More than 7 in 10 Democrats approve of Mueller, while about 7 in 10 Republicans disapprove. Independents approve of his efforts by a 52 percent to 29 percent margin.
Americans give Trump parallel negative marks for his response to the investigation, with 35 percent approving and 52 percent disapproving. Ratings of Trump’s response are similarly partisan, with independents tilting toward disapproving by a 51 percent to 33 percent margin. Trump has relentlessly attacked Mueller’s probe as a partisan “witch hunt.”
Attitudes toward Trump and Mueller contrast sharply with views of President Bill Clinton and Ken Starr before the independent counsel released his report 20 years ago. An August 1998 Post-ABC poll found 61 percent of Americans said Starr was mainly interested in hurting Clinton, while 35 percent said he was mainly interesting in finding the truth.
The new poll finds views of Mueller are flipped in the positive direction, with 57 percent saying he is mainly interested in finding the truth, compared with 36 percent who say he is mainly interested in hurting Trump.
Both polls today and in 1998 show people affiliated with the president’s party overwhelmingly see investigations as politically motivated, but independents lean differently this year. A 57 percent majority of independents think Mueller is mainly interested in finding the truth, compared with 1998, when 59 percent of independents thought Starr was mainly interested in causing political damage to Clinton.
Democrats and Independents were right then and they are right now. The problem in both situations is Republicans.
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