Hoo boy. A new CBS News poll is a litany of bad news for Donald Trump, starting with the big-ticket item: Trump’s approval rating has sunk to 36 percent, its lowest level since he became president. And Russia—a problem that’s likely to get worse for Trump, not better—is a significant factor, with a third of people saying Trump’s handling of the Russia issue has made them think worse of him.
Trump’s credibility is low. A majority of people believe former FBI Director James Comey over Trump, and:
The percentage of Americans who thinks it is at least somewhat likely that Mr. Trump's campaign associates had improper contact with the Russian government has also risen a bit in recent months -- from 59 percent in March to 65 percent today.
Movement here is driven primarily by Republicans: 40 percent now think it is at least somewhat likely that Trump associates had improper contact with the Russian government, up from just a quarter in March.
When it comes to investigating improper contact, 56 percent believe that special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation will be impartial, with just 30 percent saying it won’t be. More than 80 percent say Trump should not try to stop Mueller’s investigation. Not that that will stop Trump from doing it if he loses his temper one of these days, but it may give congressional Republicans something to think about when they’re deciding how to respond.