Barack Obama would beat Donald Trump if he could run for president again by more than 10 per cent if an election were held today, a poll r...
Barack Obama would beat Donald Trump if he could run for president again by more than 10 per cent if an election were held today, a poll revealed Wednesday, as tensions between the former president and successor spiked this month.
The survey, taken May 18-19, shows that there is still significant public support for the former president over the current White House resident by a margin of 54 per cent to 43 per cent.
Progressive public relations consultant, Eric Schmeltzer, took $4,500 out of his own pocket to personally commission the poll with Public Policy Polling to see who would win in a head-to-head matchup among 1,223 registered voters.
Only 3 per cent of respondents said they were not sure if they would vote for the current president or former.
The results are not surprising, considering Obama consistently polls as one of the best-liked public figures in America and the most popular Democrat.
The show of support for the former president also comes as he has become more outspoken about his disapproval of Trump recently – specifically in regards to his handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
Barack Obama would beat Donald Trump with a margin of 54 per cent to 43 per cent if he were able to run against him for president in 2020, a poll released Wednesday found
The poll results come as tensions between the two have spiked this month as Obama has waged more public criticism on his successor and the president has claimed the Obama administration committed a crime in starting the Russia probe in 2016
In the last week or so, Trump has also waged accusations against his predecessor, claiming he committed some undefined crime regarding the investigation and prosecution of former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn.
Trump has bashed Obama and former Vice President and presumed Democratic nominee Joe Biden after it was revealed that they received a briefing informing them the FBI was investigating the then-incoming National Security adviser.
He has dubbed the incident on Twitter as 'Obamagate,' claiming the unspecified crime, related to the 2016 Russia probe, is 'worse than Watergate.'
Trump has demanded that his Republican allies in the Senate call former Obama officials to testify – and has even said Obama and Biden should have to face Congress.
While Republicans snubbed the idea earlier this month, they seemed to switch the script this week and embrace the president's notion – especially as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell cannot afford any tension with Trump in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
Trump demanded on Twitter that McConnell 'get tough' with Democrats and launch an investigation into the 2016 Russia probe that took center stage during his campaign for president.
Just three days after that tweet, McConnell gave in, claiming Trump 'was treated like a hostile foreign power by our own law enforcement' during his campaign and start of his presidency and claimed the investigation was fueled by 'wild theories of Russian collusion.'
A few hours later, Senate Republicans hosted Trump at the Capitol for their first party lunch in two months, where the president largely discussed his reelection campaign and boasted of his handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
He also used the unannounced visit with Republicans to urge them to stick together as the election approaches in November — and even suggested they act more like Democrats in their united front.
Republican committee chairmen now plan to follow the president's lead in approving a series of subpoenas for both testimony and documents, according to Politico, which could target Obama administration officials.
The probes could also go after the former vice president's son Hunter Biden – who was at the center of the Democrats' Ukraine investigation that ultimately led to Trump's impeachment.
The flip appears to be a GOP strategy to end any public disagreements within the party in the six months leading up to the presidential general election.
'I just think that everybody realizes that our fortunes sort of rise or fall together,' South Dakota Senator John Thune, the party whip, said. 'One thing we have to do is to make sure that we are united on our agenda and make sure that there's not separation between the White House and Republicans in Congress.'
Democrats are unbothered by Republicans and Trump making Obama a centerpiece of his reelection campaign due to the popularity of the former president.
They have provided nearly no public rebuttal to the president's attacks against his predecessor.
During a private call, which had audio leaked earlier this month, Obama called Trump's response to the coronavirus pandemic 'chaotic' and said the rule of law in America was lost the day the Justice Department dropped charges against Flynn – even after he had pleaded guilty.
Obama also used a televised commencement address to the graduating high school class of 2020 to call Trump a 'little kid,' without using the president's name directly.
These recent comments are a rise from Obama's usual decision to remain silent on his successors actions in office.
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