Poll: Voters fractured over Kavanaugh choice Americans are more divided over Brett Kavanaugh than any other S...
Americans are more divided over Brett Kavanaugh than any other Supreme Court pick in recent history. | Evan Vucci/AP Photo
Voters are sharply divided along party lines when it comes to President Donald Trump̢۪s Supreme Court pick Brett Kavanaugh, according to a new POLITICO/Morning Consult poll.
Nearly three-quarters of Republicans â€" 71 percent â€" say the Senate should confirm Kavanaugh. On the other side of the aisle, only 17 percent of Democra ts think lawmakers should give him the nod. The poll, conducted July 13-14, surveyed 1,991 registered voters.
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Americans are more divided over Kavanaugh than any other Supreme Court pick in recent history, which comes on the heels of last year̢۪s battle to appoint Justice Neil Gorsuch. Fifty percent of Democrats surveyed said the Senate should not confirm the federal appeals court judge, while just 7 percent of Republicans said the same.
One reason for the tension is Kavanaugh’s conservative judicial record, and the possibility he may tip the balance of the court if he replaces longtime swing vote Justice Anthony Kennedy. And at 53 years old, he‘s positioned to sit on the court for a long time.
Voter sentiment surrounding the landmark abortion case Roe v. Wade is fueling some of the divisions. But a majority of voters overall say Roe v. Wade should be upheld.
“Broad support e xists to uphold Roe v. Wade despite the polarizing nature of abortion policy,†said Tyler Sinclair, Morning Consult’s managing director. “Only 21 percent of voters say the Roe ruling should be overturned â€" including 10 percent of Democrats, 16 percent of Independents, and 40 percent of Republicans.â€
Fifty-nine percent of voters support Roe v Wade, according to the poll. The number of Republicans who believe Roe v Wade should remain the law is 42 percent â€" slightly larger than the 40 percent of GOP voters who said it should not be upheld.
In terms of what should inform lawmakers’ decision-making on the Kavanaugh nomination, almost half of Americans said they want their senators to vote based on his qualifications for the job. Thirty-two percent of voters say lawmakers should instead vote on “their own political and social stances.â€
But the fight over Kavanaugh̢۪s nomination is just heating up. GOP lawmakers say they aim to hold a confirmation hearing by early fall, before the midterm elections. Senators who oppose Kavanaugh̢۪s appointment are digging in their heels and drawing parallels to when Majority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell blocked former President Barack Obama̢۪s Supreme Court pick Merrick Garland from a hearing because it was a presidential election year.
Only 18 percent of Democrats think the Senate should hold a confirmation hearing before the midterm election in November, while 69 percent of Republicans say the Senate should vote before November.
The poll also surveyed voters on Trump̢۪s performance at the NATO Summit in Europe last week. Overall, 38 percent of voters said his performance was successful, while 36 percent gave him a negative review. Broken down by party, two-thirds of Republicans gave his performance a thumbs up, while just 16 percent of Democrats said the same.
Morning Consult is a nonpartisan media and technology company that provides data-driven research and insig hts on politics, policy and business strategy.
More details on the poll and its methodology can be found in these two documents â€" Toplines: https://bit.ly/2uwoirv | Crosstabs: https://bit.ly/2NkE4g2
Source: Google News | Netizen 24 United States
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