Poll: 70% of Americans say Trump's Ukraine actions were 'wrong,' 51% want him removed

William Cummings | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Trump's Ukraine phone call: U.S. and Ukraine relationship, explained U.S. and Ukraine relations go further back than the now infamous phone call between Trump and Zelensky. We explain their relationship.

WASHINGTON – Seven in 10 Americans think President Donald Trump's actions regarding Ukraine – which have been outlined in the House impeachment inquiry - were "wrong" and a slim majority thinks he should be removed from office, according to an ABC News-Ipsos poll released Monday.

Trump is facing the prospect of impeachment for allegedly using military aid to pressure Ukraine into announcing investigations that stood to benefit him politically. Trump has denied making the aid contingent upon the investigations and has insisted he was only concerned about corruption.

When asked which statement best reflected their view of the president's conduct after the first round of open testimony, 70% said "Trump's actions were wrong." Fifty-one percent said his acts were wrong and deserved impeachment in the House and conviction in the Senate. Thirteen percent said what he did was wrong but not impeachable. And 6% thought his actions were wrong, and that he should be impeached but not removed from office by the Senate.

A quarter of the respondents did not think the president had done anything wrong.

According to ABC News, 85% of Democrats said Trump should be removed from office, and 65% of Republicans did not think the president had done anything to warrant impeachment.

Impeachment Week 9: Alexander Vindman and Gordon Sondland headline three days of public hearings

More: Gordon Sondland, who flaunted Trump access, may offer first-hand account of Trump's Ukraine aims

Twenty-one percent of those surveyed said they formed their opinion on Trump's behavior after last week's hearings, and 27% said they decided how they felt between the time news of the Ukraine allegations broke and the hearings began. Another 19% said they decided when news of the story was first reported.

Nearly a third said they had made up their mind about Trump and impeachment even before the first news reports about Ukraine in September.

The poll found that 21% of Americans have been following the impeachment inquiry hearings "very closely," and 37% have been following "somewhat closely." But 42% said they were not closely following the testimony.

Of those who are watching closely, 60% believe Trump should be impeached and removed from office, ABC News said.

The survey of 506 adults was conducted Nov. 16-17 with a margin of error of plus or minus 4.8 percentage points.

Don't miss a story: How to stay updated on USA TODAY's impeachment coverage

More: Donald Trump says he would 'consider' providing impeachment testimony