Poll: Independents Flip On Impeachment, Now Vastly Opposed After First Two Weeks Of Public Hearings

Independent voters are not nearly as concerned with impeaching President Donald Trump as politicians and media elites are, according to data collected by Politico and analyzed by Vanity Fair.

US President Donald Trump, with US Republican Representative from Texas John Carter (L), speaks about the impeachment inquiry during a tour of the Flextronics computer manufacturing facility where Apple's Mac Pros are assembled in Austin, Texas, on November 20, 2019. (Photo by MANDEL NGAN / AFP) / The erroneous mention[s] appearing in the metadata of this photo by MANDEL NGAN has been modified in AFP systems in the following manner: [John Carter] instead of [John Cater]. Please immediately remove the erroneous mention[s] from all your online services and delete it (them) from your servers. If you have been authorized by AFP to distribute it (them) to third parties, please ensure that the same actions are carried out by them. Failure to promptly comply with these instructions will entail liability on your part for any continued or post notification usage. Therefore we thank you very much for all your attention and prompt action. We are sorry for the inconvenience this notification may cause and remain at your disposal for any further information you may require. (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)

(Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)

After the first two weeks of public impeachment hearings, 62 percent of surveyed independents claimed the issue is “more important to politicians than it is to me” while 61 percent answered the same way when asked about the media. Conversely, only 22 percent and 23 percent answered the respective questions in the negative. (RELATED: The Tide Is Turning Against Democrats On Impeachment)

Furthermore – when asked to rank 11 issues as top priorities – impeachment placed last among independents, with just 27 percent ranking it as the top priority. For comparison, 74 percent selected the deficit, 72 percent selected healthcare, and 70 percent selected infrastructure spending as the top priority. (RELATED: John Dean: Trump Should Have Been Impeached As Soon As He Took Office)

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the media before departing from the White House on November 20, 2019 in Washington, DC. President Trump spoke about the impeachment inquiry hearings currently taking place on Capitol Hill. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

(Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

Vanity Fair’s data marks a drastic shift on the issue. In October, polling from Gallup found that 53 percent of independents supported removing Trump from office while 44 percent opposed. A separate Morning Consult poll conducted in November – prior to the public impeachment hearings – found that 49 percent of independents supported and 34 percent opposed Trump’s removal. (RELATED: Trump Approval Rating Hits Net Positive As Support For Impeachment Plummets)

According to Gallup, independents make up 38 percent of the electorate in early November, a greater electorate than both Republicans and Democrats, which recorded 30 and 31 percent respectively.