Gallup, an analytics company that has obtained data on what Americans believe to be the “Most Important Problem in the US” since 1939, recently conducted its first survey of US citizens since the start of the impeachment inquiry into US President Donald Trump’s alleged withholding of federal funds from Ukraine.
Results from the company’s October 2019 poll put the category of government, poor leadership and politicians as the primary problem for 34% of Americans - only one percentage point behind the record-high, which was recorded in February following the US government shutdown. Immigration was a far second for this month, registering as the most important issue for approximately 13% of the 1,526 respondents.
Comparatively, in last month’s Gallup survey, conducted prior to the September 24 launch of the House Democrats’ impeachment inquiry, 23% of those polled listed government, poor leadership and politicians as the primary issue facing Americans, and 16% said immigration was the top problem.
Race relations came in third for both months, with 6% of respondents listing them as the country’s greatest issue.
Similarly, Trump’s approval rating for the 11th quarter-year of his term (July 20 through October 19) dropped to 40.7%, two points below that of the previous period, according to Gallup.
Impeachment inquiry aside, Trump’s waffling on American troops’ presence in Syria, comments concerning the US’ Kurdish allies and initial plans to host the G7 summit at his Trump National Doral resort in Miami, Florida, have caused Republicans to be more vocal about their concerns and disagreements with him in recent weeks.
In fact, the New York Times reported that it was a meeting with fellow Republicans that set in motion Trump’s decision to “find someplace else” for the G7 summit, as his Monday tweet said.
Doral in Miami would have been the best place to hold the G-7, and free, but too much heat from the Do Nothing Radical Left Democrats & their Partner, the Fake News Media! I’m surprised that they allow me to give up my $400,000 Plus Presidential Salary! We’ll find someplace else!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 21, 2019
“I think there was a lot of concern,” Deputy Minority Whip and Representative Tom Cole (R-OK) told the outlet. “I’m not sure people questioned the legality of it, but it clearly was an unforced political error.”
