Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


In the Event of Impeachment, Trump Counts on Republican Senate to Save Him

Jim Malone

   WASHINGTON - A new public opinion poll shows support is building for
   the Democratic-led impeachment inquiry now under way in the U.S. House
   of Representatives.

   The latest Washington Post-Schar School poll found 58% of those
   surveyed now support the impeachment inquiry, while 38% oppose. That is
   a shift of 21 points in those supporting the inquiry from a previous
   poll in July. A total of 49% of those who support the inquiry said
   Congress should impeach U.S. President Donald Trump and remove him from
   office, while 6% of that group oppose his ouster.

   A new Quinnipiac University poll released Tuesday shows voters support
   the inquiry by a margin of 52% to 45%. The survey also shows voters
   remain split on whether President Trump should be impeached. Forty-five
   percent say he should, and 49% oppose the idea.

   House Democrats are considering whether the president may have
   committed an impeachable offense by trying to enlist help from Ukraine
   and China to investigate Democratic presidential front-runner and
   former Vice President Joe Biden.

   Showdown with Congress

   The jump in support for impeachment comes as House Democrats battle the
   White House for documents and testimony in a probe that seems to be
   moving quickly.

   Several analysts say the likelihood is growing that the Democratic
   House may be headed toward making Trump only the third U.S. president
   in history to be impeached.

   "These are extraordinarily serious allegations," George Washington Law
   School analyst Paul Schiff Berman told VOA. "I am not sure there has
   ever been a time in our history where we have had a president who has
   conducted foreign policy for his own personal political gain."

   At the White House, Trump remained defiant and lashed out at Democrats.

   "What they did to this country is unthinkable, and it's lucky that I am
   the president because a lot of people said very few people could handle
   it," Trump told reporters late Monday. "I sort of thrive on it. You
   know why? Because it is so important."

   Trump has denied any wrongdoing and said his focus was fighting
   corruption, not politics.

   On Tuesday, the impeachment probe took another turn when the State
   Department ordered the U.S. ambassador to the European Union, Gordon
   Sondland, not to appear before Congress to answer questions about the
   Trump administration's dealing with Ukraine.

.