AP-NORC poll: Many support probe, but it's not top priority

More Americans approve of the impeachment investigation into President Donald Trump than disapprove of it, though only about a third say the inquiry should be a top priority for Congress, according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

That solid, if measured, support serves as a warning sign for Trump's White House and re-election campaign, which have insisted that pursuing impeachment will end up being a vulnerability for Democrats heading into 2020.

But the findings present some red flags for Democrats, too: More people say House members are motivated mainly by politics rather than by duty as they investigate the Republican president's dealings with Ukraine and whether he abused his office or compromised national security when he tried to pressure the country to dig up dirt on a political rival.

And assessments of the president's performance generally have remained remarkably stable even as the investigation has unfolded at a rapid clip.

Overall, 47% said they support the impeachment inquiry, while 38% disapprove. Like most assessments of Trump and Washington, views of impeachment are starkly polarized.

A vast majority of Democrats approve of the inquiry, including 68% who strongly approve.

Among them is Sandra Shrewsbury, 70, who lives in Greencastle, Indiana. She said that Trump's impeachment is long overdue.

"I am really concerned about our country if this does not stop," she said of Trump's time in office.

She voiced concerns that Trump doesn't have the temperament to be the nation's commander in chief and is doing serious damage to the country's standing.

She was relieved, she said, that after months of hemming and hawing, impeachment proceedings were finally underway.

"I was getting very frustrated with Congress and those investigating because I felt like they were just dragging their heels," she said. "I wish they'd stop worrying about getting reelected themselves and get down to the business they're supposed to be doing. ... We pay them to do this job."