On Thursday, while reporting on the latest developments in the Russia investigation, neither ABC’s Good Morning America nor CBS This Morning made any mention of a new poll showing Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s favorability with the American people dropping to lowest level since the probe began over a year ago. NBC’s Today show did manage to note the survey, but only for a mere 17 seconds.
“Meanwhile, there’s evidence President Trump’s frequent attacks on the Russia inquiry are taking a toll,” fretted correspondent Kristen Welker on the NBC morning show. She explained the results: “A new poll showing Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s public image at its lowest level so far. 36% of all voters viewing Mueller unfavorably, including 53% of Republicans.”
On finding Welker left out of her seconds-long account of the Politico/Morning Consult poll was that there was also a significant increase in the number of people who thought the Russia investigation was being handled unfairly. “In the latest survey, 40 percent of voters said it had been handled unfairly, compared to early February when 34 percent said the probe wasn’t being handled fairly,” explained a Politico write-up of the poll.
The article also highlighted: “Mueller’s unfavorable numbers have hit highs among both Democrats and independents, at 24 percent and 33 percent, respectively.”
Like Welker, the Politico piece blamed President Trump and conservatives for the decline in Mueller’s popularity:
Months of sustained conservative attacks led by President Donald Trump and his allies have harmed Mueller most among Republicans, with a record 53 percent now saying they view the lead Russia investigator in an unfavorable light. That’s a 26-point spike since July, when the poll first started asking voters whether they viewed Mueller favorably or unfavorably.
Whatever the reason for Mueller’s unfavorable public image, it’s certainly a fact worth mentioning in any coverage of the Russia investigation.
Back in the 1990s, the liberal media certainly were not shy about denigrating the work and character of Independent Counsel Ken Starr throughout his years-long investigation of Bill Clinton’s presidency.
