[Poppy Harlow, Cnn Anchor:] One day out from a full House vote on two articles of impeachment against the president and Americans are really divided.
[Jim Sciutto, Cnn Anchor:] Yes. In fact, we're seeing support for impeachment declining in CNN's polling. Joining us now, CNN politics reporter and editor at large Chris Cillizza. Democrats placed a lot of faith in public hearings moving public sentiment on impeachment. Doesn't seem like we saw that.
[Chris Cillizza, Cnn Politics Reporter:] No, that's right, Jim. So let's run through just a quick a couple things. So, overall, 45 percent in our most recent poll, that's down 50 percent in the last two. Now, again, in here, this is a lot of Mueller, right? I mean you have to separate, this is the Mueller report and Russia versus Ukraine. So a little bit apples to oranges there. But these three matter, 50, 50, 45. There is a bit of a little decline. Let's go and look by party because that's always, I think, helpful. So this is totally fascinating. Democrats are the ones that have seen the biggest decline, 13 percent, just 2 percent independents. That's basically just statistical noise. Republicans, you know, a little bit, but they were never supportive of it. Denny Heck was on our air earlier, Washington Democrat congressman who's retiring.
[Harlow:] Yes.
[Cillizza:] And he said something really interesting, which is, even he has grown weary of this impeachment stuff and he thinks maybe Democratic voters are, too. Maybe that explains that number, although never totally sure. Now, let's go to the broader the poll of polls that CNN does, which is essentially a look at all the polling we think is credible and serious on this question, which gives you a really good overview. Senator Casey, Poppy, said, one poll, I don't put any trust in. So let's look at a lot of polls then. Trump should be impeached, removed from office, 46 yes, 49 no. Again, a lot of that is about partisanship. You know, the it's just a very everything at this point is viewed through the lens of partisanship. You see these numbers, maybe 49, 46. This is statistical noise largely. Basically the country evenly divided on that question going into the vote tomorrow.
[Harlow:] Yes. So, Cillizza
[Cillizza:] Yes.
[Harlow:] Looking big picture here at the political implications for those in Congress, your piece was great last night laying out the facts of what we actually saw the last time a House moved to impeach a president back in '98, '99, Newt Gingrich thought that he would get his party would benefit, right, that he would get a net 40 seat gain.
[Cillizza:] That's exactly right.
[Harlow:] It didn't. And it cost him his job.
[Cillizza:] Yes.
[Harlow:] But there's a difference this time.
[Cillizza:] Yes, there is. I mean I'm old enough to remember that Newt Gingrich saying they're going to pick up 40 or 45 seats in the run-up to the '98 election, they lost five, they kept their majority, but Newt Gingrich was out because of it. OK, there is a difference, Poppy. And I think we miss this a lot of times. Jim is exactly right that impeachment support has dropped a little bit, down from 50 to 45. But, remember, 45 percent 45 percent support impeachment and removal of Donald Trump. I asked your amazing producers to get these numbers, which is, where were these number with remember, Obama, Bush and Clinton, we all talked about impeachment. Clinton was impeached. Let's just go to Clinton, because that's the one we talk about. Twenty in September 1998, 29 percent of people thought he should be impeached and removed from office. Reminder, 45 percent of people think that way about Donald Trump. So, yes, it is down, but it is down from half the country, right? This number really never got all that high, and it rebounded back very badly on Republicans. So if you're a Democrat and we saw lots of them moderate Democrats yesterday come out in support of these impeachment articles, people in Trump districts, this number and the 45 percent number, that's a thing you're going to highlight and say this is not that.
[Harlow:] Yes.
[Sciutto:] Right.
[Harlow:] There you go. Thanks for your brain, Cillizza. We always appreciate it.
[Cillizza:] Ah, well, it's in there, I might as well use it.
[Harlow:] We'll be right back.