“Impeachment.” It’s a word we hear far too often nowadays. From the one-sidedness of media headlines to California Rep. Adam Schiff’s daily ravings, impeachment is more hotly debated than economic growth, tax policy, and other pocketbook issues that actually affect Americans.
At this rate, one would think the sheer scale of impeachment talk has turned Americans against President Trump. Well, it turns out the opposite is true, because Americans are tuning out the talk.
Even as the impeachment inquisition turns into a sham of a hearing process, President Trump’s approval rating holds steady, unchanged since the hearings began. If anything, the prospect of impeachment has only solidified the president’s conservative base, which rightly feels under attack from the #Resistance. Among Republicans, President Trump’s approval stands at 90 percent — up from 87 percent in October.
In truth, public opinion regarding the impeachment hearings is as partisan as the hearings themselves. Nearly two-thirds of Americans say they can’t imagine changing their position on impeachment. In other words, if you supported President Trump’s “America First” agenda, you will continue to do so. If you were a #Resistance fighter, then you’ll keep fighting.
If Democrats only care about pandering to their base, then perhaps impeachment is a fight worth fighting. But, in the grand scheme of things, it’s a losing battle. Leading up to the 2020 election, Americans expect more from their political leaders than Trump Derangement Syndrome — and that’s all Democrats have to offer.
While President Trump presides over a booming economy and secure borders — indeed, national security we’ve never seen before — Democrats can only resort to Schiff-isms and bogus whistleblower complaints.
Their vulnerability is especially pronounced in battleground states like Wisconsin, where support for impeachment continues to slip. Only 40 percent of registered Wisconsin voters support impeachment, and almost all of them are Democrats. Independents think differently.
Or consider Florida, where Hispanic voters list the economy, health care, and education as their top priorities in 2020. Where does impeachment rank? Dead last. Only four percent of Florida Hispanics consider impeachment a “top priority.”
Why would they? The daily partisanship on Capitol Hill does nothing to feed a family of four or help an entrepreneur start a new business. No matter how committed Adam Schiff is to impeachment, he helps no American who’s seeking better job opportunities or one whose taxes are still too high. Nor does his commitment return the health insurance taken away by Obamacare.
Even some news outlets are wisening up to this reality. CBS recently ended its wall-to-wall coverage of the impeachment hearings, recognizing that America is tuning out.
What Americans are tuning into is talk about the economy — how public policies can make their lives better. In this regard, President Trump retains a commanding lead against his Democratic counterparts. It’s not even close. He recently discussed the state of the manufacturing sector at an Apple factory tour in Texas, urging U.S. manufacturers to assemble their goods domestically. In his words: “When you build in the United States, you don’t have to worry about tariffs.”
President Trump knows the economy matters most — to most Americans. That’s why it matters when Apple CEO describes the U.S. economy as “the strongest in the world right now.”
Strength is President Trump’s record, and Americans know it. They’re listening. They’re just not listening to Democrats.
Allen West (@AllenWest) is a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel and who represented Florida as a Republican in the U.S. House from 2011-13. He serves as senior advisor to the Committee to Defend the President.
The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of The Daily Caller.