Jan 24, 2020

Polls: Americans want new witnesses in Trump's impeachment trial

Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images

Several polls out this week show a majority of Americans would like to see Congress bring forward new witnesses to testify in President Trump's impeachment trial.

The state of play: Democrats could be a few Republican votes short to call new witnesses, Axios' Alayna Treene and Jonathan Swan previously reported.

Several players involved in the investigation regarding Ukraine, like Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and former national security adviser John Bolton, have said they would testify if subpoenaed by Congress.

By the numbers: Polling out Friday from ABC News and the Washington Post shows 66% of Americans want the Senate to call new witnesses. Several other polls this week returned with similar approval for witnesses:

57%, according to Morning Consult/Politico
69%, from CNN conducted by SSRS
About 70%, from the AP/NORC Center for Public Affairs Research
72%, from Reuters/Ipsos polling
66%, from Quinnipiac National Poll said they want Bolton to testify

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Protestors rally in Minneapolis. Photo: Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Health experts fear that massive protests against police brutality in major cities around the United States could result in new coronavirus outbreaks due to the close proximity of demonstrators, AP reports.

Why it matters: The U.S. has already recorded more confirmed coronavirus cases and deaths than any other country in the world. A potential surge in cases stemming from the protests would come as many states are weeks into their phased reopening plans.

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Photo Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Photo: Doug Mills-Pool/Getty Images

President Trump’s mockery of coronavirus masks, his false claims about the dangers of voting by mail and his insinuations that a cable TV nemesis was involved in a murder are testing more high-profile Republicans' willingness to look the other way.

The big picture: Republicans learned a long time ago how dangerous it is to alienate Trump’s base — which is why any hint of disagreement, even a whisper, is so remarkable when it happens.

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Axios

Updated 3 hours ago - Politics & Policy

U.S. cities crack down on protesters

The scene near the 5th police precinct during a demonstration calling for justice for George Floyd in Minneapolis on Saturday. Photo: Kerem Yucel/AFP via Getty Images

Major U.S. cities have implemented curfews and called on National Guard to mobilize as thousands of demonstrators gather across the nation to continue protesting the death of George Floyd.

The state of play: Hundreds have already been arrested as tensions continue to rise between protesters and local governments. Protesters are setting police cars on fire as freeways remain blocked and windows are shattered, per the Washington Post. Law enforcement officials are using tear gas and rubber bullets to try to disperse crowds and send protesters home.

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