CNN Poll: Differential Treatment of Trump Compared to Other Defendants

A recent CNN poll revealed that a majority of Americans believe former President Donald Trump is being treated differently in his criminal trial in New York. The trial pertains to allegations of falsifying business records in connection to a payment made to porn star Stormy Daniels.

The poll, conducted from April 18-23 with 1,212 adults, showed that 34% of respondents felt Trump was being treated more harshly than other defendants, while another 34% believed he was receiving more lenient treatment. Only 13% thought he was being treated the same. The margin of error for the poll was +/- 3.4 percentage points.

Trump, who is facing 34 charges in the trial, has pleaded not guilty and maintained his innocence. He has criticized the trial as a political attack against him.

Opinions on how Trump is being treated differed along party lines. A majority of Democrats (60%) felt he was being treated leniently, while most Republicans (67%) believed he was being treated too harshly. Independents fell in between, with 33% saying he was being treated leniently and 27% saying he was being treated harshly. Few believed he was being treated the same, with only 10% of Republicans, 9% of Democrats, and 17% of Independents sharing this view.

Furthermore, the poll revealed that 56% of respondents were not confident in the fairness of Trump’s trial, given the makeup of the jury pool in New York. This sentiment was echoed by 44% who expressed confidence in a fair trial for Trump.

In a separate poll by Economist/YouGov poll , conducted from April 14-16 with 1,574 adults, opinions were divided on whether Trump should be convicted in the trial. When asked if he will be convicted, responses were also split, with uncertainty prevailing among a significant portion of respondents. The margin of error for this poll was +/- 3.2 percentage points.