Trump Disapproval Hits 60% In New Poll

Disapproval of President Donald Trump reached 60% in a new ABC News/Washington Post poll, the highest those outlets have recorded throughout his tenure. 

The results, released Friday, come at a challenging time for the Trump presidency, after his former longtime lawyer Michael Cohen pleaded guilty in federal court, and his former campaign chairman Paul Manafort was found guilty on eight counts and faces yet another trial next month. Meanwhile, White House counsel Don McGahn is on his way out this fall, as Democrats aim to take control of the House come November. Trump's approval rating is still high among conservatives, but it has dropped from a high of 74% to 67%. And his approvals among white men without college education has also dropped 15 points -- from a high of 70% to 55%. 

The president, who often calls polls fake, has more to worry about, if this poll is accurate. A majority of those polled, 53%, believe he has tried to interfere with special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation in a way that amounts to obstruction of justice, compared to 35% who believe has has not. Speaking of Mueller, Americans are broadly supportive of him and his investigation, according to the ABC-Washington Post poll. The survey found 63% support Mueller's investigation into Trump associates, while 29% oppose it. 

While the president has complained that Manafort's prosecution was unfair, the poll finds a majority of Americans think it was justified, 67 to 17%, and nearly half of Republicans agree with this. Sixty-six percent of Americans oppose a Trump pardon for Manafort, and 45% of Republicans also oppose a pardon.

Those polled did express concern over Trump's associates, and the president's interactions with them. A majority of those polled, 61%, agreed that if the president directed Cohen to pay off women, he committed a crime. And only 18% of those polled believed the president should pardon Manafort, while 66% say he should not. 

Americans are split on whether impeachment proceedings should begin against Trump, something that would likely only happen if Democrats take control of Congress. Of those polled, 49% said impeachment proceedings should begin, while 46% said they should not. 

There's also a split among Americans on Trump's handing of the economy, with 45%  who approve and 47% who disapprove.