GOP strategist smacked down on CNN for refusing to believe impeachment support is at 50 percent

On CNN Tuesday, anchor John Berman questioned former Republican National Committee Chief of Staff Mike Shields about the public's continued support for impeaching President Donald Trump — and he refused even to engage with the premise of the question.

"Mike, I understand that the White House and Republicans are saying, oh, the support for impeachment and removal hasn't shot up," said Berman. "But just the number of 50 percent. If 50 percent of Americans want you impeached and removed from office, that's not really good news for a presidency, is it?"

"Well, John, it's very interesting," said Shields. "I never look at just one poll. I always look at a number of polls. But I also read the crosstabs, and read the crosstabs of this poll, I read down deep. The poll has sampled into it 25 percent of Republicans. And that's no BS. And so, look, it's an not illegitimate poll, of the people it was polled I'm sure the numbers are right. But it's got a massive number of independents in it. And when you look at the Emerson College poll that came out, another serious poll, the — whether or not to impeach went down 11 points during the hearings. The Gallup poll, another serious poll, came out and literally bounced back to where impeachment was before the hearings began."

"But I'll say, Mike — I guess what I'll say is that you take the totality of the polls, and FiveThirtyEight and everyone else does the average, they haven't moved or they've barely moved, and if they have moved, FiveThirtyEight shows the average shows that support for impeachment and removal has crept up, albeit slightly," said Berman. "Let's take the average, because every poll you cite, I can cite Morning Consult, which shows support goes up, I can cite Reuters/Ipsos, support goes up, and you can site one going down. Bottom line is, let's stipulate if it hasn't moved, still, to have 50 percent wanting you out of office, I'm asking that's not a comfortable place to be."

"Look, first of all I don't buy that there is 50 percent that want him thrown out of office," said Shields. "But to accept the point you make, this has been, I believe, very, very bad for the Democrats."

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