This (NEW) poll underscores the risk the GOP is taking on a sham trial (WAPO) [View all]

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One of the problems that the drive to remove President Trump faces right now is the structural skew of the U.S. Senate. As Dave Wasserman puts it, the GOP Senate caucus is concentrated in states that comprise an electorate that’s more sparsely distributed, more white, more rural, and redder than the more populous states, where Democratic senators are concentrated.

That seems like it probably helps fortify Trump’s firewall of protection against removal, and even could make it more likely that GOP senators vote for a sham trial, regardless of national sentiment. But nonetheless, broadly speaking, the GOP probably runs real risks if Republican senators acquit Trump after turning his trial into a coverup, in which no new witnesses or evidence are admitted.

The Pew Research Center has a new poll out that underscores why. It’s packed with new data on public attitudes toward impeachment and shows surprising support for it among particular voter groups that Republicans probably can’t afford to alienate too deeply this year.

The Pew poll finds that 51 percent of Americans support the Senate removing Trump, while 46 percent are opposed. That’s the second poll this week — after CNN’s poll released Monday — finding that a majority backs removal.

But the Pew poll also has some surprises in the internals.

For instance: 53 percent of college-educated whites also support removal. Similarly, the CNN poll finds that 52 percent of college-educated whites supports the same.

Those are remarkable numbers, given the traditional moderate lean of this constituency, and may underscore once again the depth of alienation these voters feel from Trump. At the same time, Pew also finds that 64 percent of non-college-educated whites oppose removal, again demonstrating the deep divide Trump is driving among white voters along educational lines.