Internal Issa poll suggested support for Trump hurt lawmaker: report

A new report shows President Trump could be to blame for an uptick in Rep. Darrell Issa’s (R-Calif.) negative ratings among voters late last year.

An internal campaign poll found that Issa’s favorable rating sunk slightly — from 42 percent to 41 percent — between October and December, the Los Angeles Times reported on Tuesday. But, conversely, the percentage of voters that viewed him unfavorably surged from 40 percent to 49 percent.

The poll found that ads targeting Issa’s support for Trump had a substantial impact on viewers’ impressions of the lawmaker, according to the Times. 

{mosads}Issa was a staunch support of the real estate mogul throughout his presidential bid. But he has distanced himself from Trump’s administration in the wake of a number of controversies that have roiled the early weeks of his presidency.

The Times said the poll numbers could serve as an early warning for Issa, who won his race last November by just 1,621 votes. He’s up for reelection next year, and could face another tight race. His challenger in 2016, Doug Applegate, has indicated that he wants to square off with Issa again in 2018.