Poll Shows Americans Don't Want Witnesses

(1/26/99)

WASHINGTON (AP) _ A majority of Americans do not support the Senate calling witnesses in President Clinton's impeachment trial and an even greater number believe he will not be removed from office, according to a poll released Tuesday.

The survey, by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, shows that 53 percent of people oppose the Senate calling witnesses to testify. Most Americans, 63 percent, believe the president should not be removed from office and even more, 67 percent, say they don't expect the Senate to oust him.

Americans also expressed waning interest in the impeachment trial, with 88 percent saying the trial has offered little new or interesting information.

About 17 percent of Americans said they watched or listened to the proceedings on the day they were polled, during the period the survey was conducted from Jan. 19 to Jan. 25. The exception was Jan. 19, the first day of the presentation by the White House lawyers, when 31 percent said they followed the coverage.

Asked about various causes for their inattention, 47 percent said it was because the trial would not change their mind about the president, 41 percent said they found the proceedings too partisan and 36 percent said they haven't been following the proceedings because they believe it is unlikely Clinton will be removed from office.