“The poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows that support for surveillance tools aimed at monitoring conversations taking place outside the country, once seen as vital in the fight against attacks, has dipped in the last decade. That’s even though international threats are again generating headlines following the chaotic end to the 20-year war in Afghanistan. In particular, 46% of Americans say they oppose the U.S. government responding to threats against the nation by reading emails sent between people outside of the U.S. without a warrant, as permitted under law for purposes of foreign intelligence collection. That’s compared to just 27% who are in favor. In an AP-NORC poll conducted one decade ago, more favored than opposed the practice, 47% to 30%” the Associated Press reports.

Just going to throw this out there that maybe at least part of the reason why support for such programs dropped is because the NSA and CIA picked up conversations between Russian scumbags under surveillance and Trump minions during the 2016 presidential campaign. This even though the poll question specified “between people outside of the US” because such a program is inevitably going to (and did) turn up contacts with US citizens. Especially with Russian targets.

This wouldn’t be the first time MAGA Nation was behind a large drop in support over time for a survey question. In January 2013, a Gallup poll found that 63% of Americans were in favor of switching to the popular vote, while 29% said we should keep the electoral college. In December 2016, that changed to 49% popular vote, and 47% keep electoral college, the reason why plainly way more obvious than the fallout from “Obamagate” and all that batshit FISA nonsense with Carter page and Mike Flynn being the driver of a drop in support for warrantless overseas surveillance.