Nearly Half Of US Voters Want Trump Impeachment Probe Extended To Bidens - Poll

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th November, 2019) The number of US voters who expect the House of Representatives to impeach President Donald Trump remains virtually unchanged after the first week of public hearings, but nearly half want the impeachment inquiry expanded to include activities of former Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter, according to a poll by Rasmussen reports on Monday.

"Eighteen percent of likely US voters think Trump will be impeached before serving his full term in office," a press release summarizing the poll said. "Seventeen percent felt that way in September, down from a high of 29 percent, when Rasmussen first asked this question in late December 2017.

Meanwhile, "46 percent of voters think the House hearing should be expanded to look at the involvement of Biden and his son Hunter in Ukrainian affairs.

Forty-three percent disagree, while 11 percent are undecided.

House Democrats claim Trump pressed Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to open a probe of the Bidens by withholding nearly $400 million in US military aid - a charge that Republicans deny because the aid was released several weeks after a July 25 request by Trump even though Ukraine never launched a Biden investigation.

Democrats have also blocked a Republican request to subpoena Hunter Biden to testify.

Joe Biden has publicly admitted that as vice president he threatened to withhold about $1 billion in US military aid unless Ukraine dismissed a prosecutor who was investigating a company that employed his son, Hunter.

The 46 percent who want Biden investigated tracks closely with Trump approval ratings in daily presidential approval polls by Rasmussen.