Almost seven in 10 voters say they are closely following the impeachment proceedings against President Trump, according to a Hill-HarrisX poll released on Friday.
The nationwide survey found that 69 percent of voters said they are closely following news surrounding impeachment, compared to 31 percent who said they were weren’t paying very close attention to the latest developments.
There was a small split on party lines, with 79 percent of Democratic voters saying they were following impeachment and 71 percent of Republican voters saying the same.
Independents were the least likely group to make impeachment a priority, with 55 percent saying they were keeping an eye on impeachment.
The survey comes as the Senate prepares for an impeachment trial, which is expected to start in January.
The Democratic-led House on Wednesday voted to impeach Trump on articles of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
Though the articles are typically sent straight to the Senate, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is withholding them over concerns that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) won’t conduct a fair trial. In the days leading up to the historic vote in the House, McConnell acknowledged that he would not be an impartial juror.
Democrats, meanwhile, have rallied behind Pelosi’s decision to delay the impeachment articles.
Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.), a member of the House Intelligence Committee, called Pelosi’s delay “a very wise decision on her part,” saying it gives the House more leverage to ensure a fair trial.
If a Senate trial doesn’t end up taking place, that means that Trump would never formally be acquitted or convicted of the charges.
The Hill-HarrisX survey was conducted Dec. 17-18 among 1,001 registered voters. The poll’s margin of error is plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.
— Tess Bonn
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