AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:
Political Washington can be a bit of a bubble. The stories that feel so big and so important don't always get people talking in the rest of the country.
ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:
Well, as we've just heard, that is not the case with the Ukraine call and the impeachment inquiry, so we've asked people around the country for their takes on the news. Bob Rickard of Phoenix, Ariz., says he has been following along a medium amount.
BOB RICKARD: I think that the president just needs to do his job. People need to let him do it. It's too much nitpicking and trying to impeach him. It's just ridiculous. If someone was on my shoulders all day, I wouldn't be able to do my job, so - or looking over my shoulder or beating me down every chance they get.
CORNISH: Rickard doesn't support the impeachment inquiry. He says Democrats should just let the president do his job.
RICKARD: They've tried how many times so far? And nothing comes of it. It just seems like they're trying to build a wall right through the middle of the country.
CORNISH: We also reached Stephanie Loving in the Bay Area. She supports the impeachment inquiry.
STEPHANIE LOVING: Well, I'm very happy about that finally happening. Hello. It's been a long time coming.
SHAPIRO: But Loving agrees that this episode has been divisive.
LOVING: The Republican party - I'm a lifelong Democrat, but I will say I've never felt like the Republicans were an enemy ever in my life. They were the opposite party. We discussed things. We got things done together. It doesn't feel that way anymore. It feels like a huge separation, and they've become the Trump party. I wouldn't call it the Republican Party. I call it the Trump party. That's what hurts.
CORNISH: Smithville, Mo.'s Angela Dupin (ph) hasn't been following the story closely but thinks the inquiry might be a good idea.
ANGELA DUPIN: From what I've heard, I think that it makes sense. He seems to have done some kind of sketchy things, but again, I can only, like, take bits and pieces at a time because he just pushes my buttons - Donald Trump, that is.
SHAPIRO: Courtney Fry (ph) of Monroeville, Ala., does not support Democrats' efforts. She says the timing is off.
COURTNEY FRY: I don't see the purpose at this point because we're already at the end of '19, you know, for them trying to start an impeachment process at this point. And the fact that Democrats have the House, Republicans have the Senate - so sure, you know, the impeachment might go through in the House, but more than likely, the Senate is going to acquit him, so I don't see a point in doing it.
CORNISH: Some people are still sorting out how they feel about the impeachment inquiry, like Rachel Jones from Platte City, Mo.
RACHEL JONES: I'm a little fuzzy on that. I'm just not sure it's the best use of time and resources, but I do, you know, wonder if improprieties have taken place, so I understand why they would, you know, be trying that. So I just - I'm not sure that I support it just with all the other things we have that we could be, you know, focusing on.
SHAPIRO: Dale Hofer is from Eudora, Kan., and he says he doesn't like President Trump very much, but he thinks he's doing a good job on the economy. He says that phone call with the Ukrainian president was...
DALE HOFER: Probably not a real wise choice, but I don't think it warrants impeachment.
CORNISH: But mainly, Hofer says he thinks there's just too much fighting right now.
HOFER: I think many Americans feel, like I do, that we need to go back to where we can work together as two parties for the improvement of our country, our people, and I long for those days again. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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