Reprinted with permission from Shareblue.com

Donald Trump and his hardcore defenders have spent the past few months picking a public fight with special counsel Robert Mueller, in a coordinated effort to try to manipulate public perception and discredit any potential wrongdoing by Trump that he might find — and possibly, warm people to the idea of firing him.

But a new CNN poll suggests that Trump probably should not be so eager to jump into a popularity contest with Mueller.

According to the poll, 47 percent of Americans approve of how Mueller is handling the investigation into Russian interference, versus only 34 percent who disapprove.

For Trump, meanwhile, just 32 percent approve while 56 percent disapprove.

If you’re keeping track, that means Mueller’s net approval rating is 39 points higher than Trump’s.

The poll further suggests that while Republicans are largely buying Trump’s attacks on Mueller, not all of them are. One in five Republicans — 22 percent — disapprove of how Trump is handling the investigation, and Republicans as a whole are not unified in condemning Mueller, with 41 percent disapproving and 31 percent approving.

The figures also show that the U.S. public has completely lost confidence in Trump’s truthfulness. Overall, Americans do not believe Trump’s public statements about the Russia investigation by a margin of 56 to 35.

Only 8 percent of Americans believe his statements about the investigation are “completely true.”

Trump and his allies have staked out an untenable position — they want the American people to choose between Trump and the rule of law. If the polls are any indication, Americans have made their choice.