(CNN) Who's a better president: The first one or the current one?

new Monmouth University poll asked that very question. And the answers -- especially among Republicans -- will shock you.

Overall, 7 in 10 say that George Washington was the better president while 15% picked Trump. But among GOPers it's far closer -- with 44% choosing Washington and 37% naming Trump.

Stop for a minute. Read that last sentence again. Almost 4 in 10 Republicans told a pollster that Donald Trump is a better president than George Washington. The same George Washington who led the country's armed forces to victory over the British, helped found our country and then walked away from office after two terms even though he could have kept getting elected for as long as he wanted.

Now, I should add that Democrats showed even higher levels of retrospective appreciation for former President Barack Obama, who they chose over George Washington by 63% to 29%. Which is also a stunning number! (And one we didn't notice in the crosstabs until later). But the fact that Trump, three years into his first term and midway through a House impeachment process, is being compared to Washington at such favorable levels definitely tells us something about how his party views him.

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