US Polarized Over Trump’s Recent Legal Cases, Finds AP-NORC Poll
A new poll conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows that Americans are deeply divided along party lines when it comes to their views of former President Donald Trump’s actions in recent criminal cases. About half of Americans view Trump’s alleged attempt to interfere in Georgia’s 2020 vote count as illegal, while 53% approve of the Justice Department indicting Trump over his efforts to remain in office after losing the 2020 election. The poll also reveals that the majority of Democrats approve of the criminal charges brought against Trump, compared to a smaller percentage of independents and Republicans. Despite the indictments, the poll suggests that there is still a fundamental divide among Americans, with the majority disapproving of Trump but him remaining popular within the GOP. Overall, 35% of Americans have a favorable view of Trump, while 62% have an unfavorable view. Among Republicans, 70% view Trump favorably and 60% want him to run for the White House again. The survey was conducted prior to the recent indictments in Georgia, where 51% of U.S. adults believed Trump acted illegally in the case. Additionally, only 17% of Americans have a “great deal” of confidence in the people running the Justice Department, with Republicans having significantly less confidence than Democrats. The poll also reveals that Americans do not view the indictments against Trump equally, with about half believing he did something illegal in certain cases, such as the Jan. 6 breach of the Capitol and the Georgia charges, while only about one-third believe he acted illegally in the hush money case. Finally, the poll found that Americans largely disagree with Trump’s claims that the 2020 election was stolen from him, with 70% saying that President Joe Biden was legitimately elected.
