Voters are turning on Robert Mueller

(Image credit: Getty Images)

published 13 June 2018

The tide appears to be turning against Special Counsel Robert Mueller, whose unfavorable ratings have reached new highs with Republicans, Democrats, and independents, a Politico/Morning Consult poll has found. Now an entire 53 percent of Republican voters view Mueller negatively, up 26 points since last July. Additionally, GOP members of Congress are growing increasingly restless with his ongoing probe, which has now entered its second year.

Among Democrats, a record 24 percent have an unfavorable opinion of Mueller, and among independents that number is even higher, 33 percent. Across all voters, 36 percent hold a poor opinion of Mueller, up from 23 percent just under a year ago.

Part of the reason for the shift appears to be that voters think the investigation is being handled unfairly — 40 percent of voters say so, up from 34 percent in February. But while President Trump has often made hay of Mueller's alleged bias, 48 percent of voters say the president tried to obstruct the Russia investigation, up 4 points from February. A vast majority of voters, 59 percent, say Trump should not self-pardon if charges are brought against him.

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.

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