President Trump is more popular than ever among Republicans in Iowa, and a strong majority of GOP voters believe House Democrats’ impeachment effort will make it easier for Mr. Trump to win reelection next year, according to a new poll.
The Des Moines Register/CNN/Mediacom Iowa Poll found that Mr. Trump’s overall job approval rating is up four percentage points from March, to 85%. The percentage of those who say they will definitely vote to reelect Mr. Trump is up 9 points, to 76%.
Of those polled, 60% said the impeachment inquiry will make it easier for Mr. Trump to win next year, and 25% said it would make it harder for him. Nearly three out of four Republicans, 72%, said Mr. Trump did not use his office improperly to gain political advantage against a 2020 opponent, while 14% said he did, and 13% weren’t sure.
Registered Republican voters also are very confident about Mr. Trump’s ability to defeat each of the top four Democratic candidates next year. In a potential matchup with Sen. Bernard Sanders of Vermont, 62% saying they are “almost certain” that Mr. Trump would win.
Against Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, 59% said Mr. Trump would win, while 58% said the same about Mr. Trump’s chances against former Vice President Joseph R. Biden.
South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg fared slightly better, with 56% saying they are certain the president would defeat him.
The Register said that in a show of Iowa Republicans’ deep support for the president, 41% of these registered Republicans feel more allegiance to Mr. Trump than to the Republican Party. Forty-three percent said they feel more allegiance to the party, and 16% were unsure.
The poll conducted Nov. 8-13 also suggests that Mr. Trump’s tariff war with China hasn’t hurt his standing in Iowa. Seventy-five percent said they approved of Mr. Trump’s handling of trade with China, but 53% said they approve of his ethanol policies.
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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