This week, Congressional Integrity Project released new poll results completed by Public Policy Polling. The poll shows that voters in the 18 House districts held by Republicans but won by President Biden in 2020 think a potential impeachment inquiry into President Biden would be more about helping Donald Trump than finding the truth. The poll also shows that over half of these voters believe an impeachment would be more of a partisan political stunt, including 55% of Independent voters. The Biden 18 are Don Bacon (NE-2), Lori Chavez-Deremer (OR-5), Juan Ciscomani (AZ-6), Anthony D’Esposito (NY-4), John Duarte (CA-13), Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-1), Mike Garcia (CA-27), Tom Kean, Jr. (NJ-7), Jen Kiggans (VA-2), Young Kim (CA-40), Nick LaLota (NY-1), Mike Lawler (NY-17), Marc Molinaro (NY-19), George Santos (NY-3), David Schweikert (AZ-1), Michelle Steel (CA-45), David Valadao (CA-22), and Brandon Williams (NY-22). View the full poll results here.
The top findings include:
Congressional Integrity Project hosted two press calls, one in New York, featuring Congressman Dan Goldman, Public Policy Polling Analyst Jim Williams, and Congressional Integrity Project Senior Advisor Brad Woodhouse, and another in California, featuring Dennis Aftergut, Lawyers Defending American Democracy of counsel, Public Policy Polling Analyst Jim Williams, and Congressional Integrity Project Senior Advisor Brad Woodhouse.
The virtual press conferences were held ahead of the House’s return on September 12th and as Republicans ramp up their plans to hold a bogus impeachment of President Biden. As Donald Trump continues to get into more and more legal trouble, MAGA House Republicans have gotten more desperate to come up with distractions and their evidence-free impeachment will just be their latest failed attempt. MAGA House Republicans have failed to find a single shred of evidence of wrongdoing by President Biden but that is not stopping them from continuing these political stunts. If Kevin McCarthy holds a vote on an impeachment inquiry as recently promised, the Biden 18 members will have to decide where they stand on these bogus political stunts.
The virtual press conference also followed the release of a new poll commissioned by the Congressional Integrity Project and conducted by Public Policy Polling. The poll found that a majority of voters in these districts believe a Republican impeachment inquiry of President Biden would be more about damaging President Biden politically than finding the truth. And a majority of these voters continue to believe that House Republicans’ impeachment plans are more of a political stunt than a serious investigation.
Watch a recording of the New York press call featuring Congressman Dan Goldman here
Watch a recording of the California press call featuring Dennis Aftergut here.
CIP sent out 7 rapid-response products, including statements, fact sheets, and roundups.
As MAGA House Republicans prepare to return for their fall work period, Americans and anonymous Republicans warn that they are pushing an unpopular, bogus impeachment inquiry:
Public Policy Polling released a new poll commissioned by the Congressional Integrity Project.
Congressional Integrity Project hosted two press calls, one in New York and one in California.
- MEDIA ADVISORY: Congressman Dan Goldman, Congressional Integrity Project, and PPP Hold Press Briefing on Bogus Impeachment and Biden 18 Battleground House Districts
- MEDIA ADVISORY: Congressional Integrity Project, Dennis Aftergut, and PPP Hold Press Briefing on Bogus Impeachment and Biden 18 Battleground House Districts
- NEW: Congressman Goldman, Experts Discuss Polling on Bogus Impeachment and Biden 18 Battleground House Districts
- NEW: Congressional Integrity Project, Experts Discuss Polling on Bogus Impeachment and Biden 18 Battleground House Districts
An impeachment inquiry into President Biden is far from the top priority of everyday Americans.
CIP was mentioned or quoted in the following 10 articles or news appearances.
Pod Save America: EP774 “Are Republicans About To Impeach Biden?”: “A poll came out […] that 56% of people think that impeachment of Joe Biden would be a partisan witch hunt or partisan fishing expedition… A majority of people don’t like it… So, I’m going to use this poll that I mentioned before that was done by the Congressional Integrity Project which is a Democratic group that pushes back on Congressional Investigations, […] this poll showed that 56% of voters, as I said, thought that this basically was stupid partisan bullshit.” [Pod Save America, 8/31/23]
New York Times: Biden Team Isn’t Waiting for Impeachment to Go on the Offensive. “A group called the Congressional Integrity Project has been collecting polling data; blitzing out statements, fact sheets and memos; and producing ads targeting 18 House Republicans representing districts that voted for Mr. Biden in 2020. ‘As the Republicans ramp up their impeachment efforts, they’re certainly making this a political exercise, and we’re responding in kind,’ said Kyle Herrig, the executive director of the Congressional Integrity Project. ‘This is a moment of offense for Democrats. They have no basis for impeachment. They have no evidence. They have nothing.’” [New York Times, 9/2/23]
Truthout: Marjorie Taylor Greene Vows to Oppose Fed Funding Bill Unless Biden Is Impeached. “According to a Public Policy Polling survey conducted August 23-24, 56 percent of Americans believe that an impeachment inquiry into Biden would be ‘a political stunt,’ while only 38 percent believe that it would be ‘a serious effort to investigate important problems.’ The poll also found that 61 percent of Americans don’t want Biden to be impeached without evidence that he received bribes or enacted government policies due to his son’s business dealings. ‘MAGA Republicans’ impeachment promises are nothing more than a partisan political stunt designed to hurt President Biden, and the American people know it,’ Leslie Dach, a senior adviser with the Congressional Integrity Project, which commissioned the poll, said in a statement.” [Truthout, 9/1/23]
Daily Freeman (Opinion): Bill Press: Impeach Joe Biden! But for what, exactly? “Efforts to impeach Joe Biden will fail, not only because of lack of evidence, but because they could backfire on Republicans and cost them control of the House in 2024. A poll by the Congressional Integrity Project this week shows that 56% of Americans already think trying to impeach Biden is a ‘political stunt.’” [Daily Freeman, 9/4/23]
NBC News: Democratic group writes a poll-tested playbook to fight impeachment in Biden districts. “The poll, conducted by the liberal firm Public Policy Polling on behalf of Congressional Integrity Project and first reported by NBC News, will be distributed to Democratic lawmakers as a playbook for how to battle an inquiry that House Speaker Kevin McCarthy called a ‘natural step forward.’ Congressional Integrity Project’s executive director, Kyle Herrig, said impeachment would be ‘a political stunt designed to hurt President Biden and help Donald Trump.’ He added: ‘We’re going to make sure the Biden 18 know that voting for an impeachment inquiry would be a costly political decision.’” [NBC News, 9/6/23]
La Opinión: Majority of voters in key districts in 2024 call the Republican plan to impeach Biden a “Political Stunt”: “The ‘impeachment’ plan for President Joe Biden of the Republicans led by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Kevin McCarthy (California), is rejected by 67% of voters in 18 key districts for the 2024 elections. This is revealed by a new survey shared exclusively with a Spanish-language medium by Public Policy Polling, which indicates that five of these districts are in California.” [La Opinión, 9/6/23]
The Hill: Impeachment inquiry, funding could spell trouble for House GOP moderates. “In a poll commissioned by the Democratic-aligned Congressional Integrity Project released Wednesday, 56 percent of voters in the 18 Biden-won districts said an impeachment inquiry would be more of a partisan political stunt, while 41 percent said it would be a serious effort to probe important problems.” [The Hill, 9/7/23]
CNN: House Democrats seek clearer Hunter Biden strategy as GOP impeachment threats loom. “Besides that, an outside Democratic group, the Congressional Integrity Project, regularly sends out memos and information to push back on Republican allegations and talking points. ‘Since day one, the Congressional Integrity Project has been exposing MAGA Republican investigations for what they are: political stunts designed to hurt President Biden and put Donald Trump back in office.’ Executive Director Kyle Herrig said in a statement to CNN. ‘It’s past time they stop with their partisan charades and focus on helping the American people.’” [CNN, 9/7/23]
Roll Call: At the Races: Who will impeachment hurt most? “Polling in the 18 districts that backed Biden in 2020 and a House Republican in 2022 found 56 percent of voters thought that an impeachment inquiry would be more focused on damaging Biden politically versus 41 percent who thought it would be about finding the truth. The poll, by the Democratically aligned Public Policy Polling firm, surveyed 633 registered voters across the districts on Aug. 25 and 26 through telephone and text message surveys.” [Roll Call, 9/7/23]
The Guardian: White House set for Hunter Biden battle as Republicans look to pounce. “Dan Goldman, a Democratic congressman from New York, told reporters gathered by the Congressional Integrity Project watchdog: ‘Yes, there are bank records, there are emails, there are text messages. So in that regard, the Republicans are correct. The Republicans are incorrect, however, in asserting that any of those documents provides a link to President Biden or demonstrates any kind of misconduct.’” [The Guardian, 9/7/23]