Attitudes in Texas Toward Mueller and His Investigation via the University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll

With Robert Mueller testifying before two different House Committees about his report on the Russian interference in the 2016 election and related matters, we’re reminded that Texans' views of Mueller’s conduct of the investigation have been polarized along party lines everytime we asked Texans to assess his performance in the University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll. These polarized views were not limited to Mueller himself; Texans divided along party lines on almost all related matters.  Find below some highlights of these results as Mueller reluctantly takes center stage in Congress this week.

View of Mueller’s conduct of the investigation

Mueller’s approval numbers grew more negative as the investigation and public discussion of it wore on.  Republican disapproval dipped slightly after the redacted version of the report was released.

Views of the whether there was coordination between the Trump campaign and russia in the 2016 election.

The report confirmed Russian efforts to disrupt the election and to support Trump's campaign, but did not find evidence of coordination between campain and Russian actors.  Prior to the report's release, belief that such coordination took place was strongly influence along partisan lines.

Views of the purpose of the investigation

Texans were also evenly split, largely along partisan lines, on whethere the investigation was as advertised, or a partisan exercise (or "witchhunt," as President Trump repeatedly referred to it).

Knowledge of the investigation

As the Mueller report gets perhaps it's final turn in the media spotlight this week, polling revealed that the public was very aware of what was going on, however different their views of what it meant.