DOJ Indicts Trump
How does Public Polling Today of Trump Charges Compare to the Get Hillary Out of Jail Free Card in 2016?
By Chuck Warren
Unless you live under a rock, you know that former President Donald Trump was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges related to his handling of classified documents once he left office. President Trump has denied any wrongdoing.
ABC News/Ipsos Survey
When I saw today’s polling, my mind wondered how it compared to the 2016 ABC News polling when the then FBI Director Comey decided not to recommend charging Hillary Clinton.
The similarities depending on what party you align with did not surprise me.
ABC News / Ipsos survey released today, June 11, 2023, showed, “Nearly half -- 48% -- of Americans think Trump should have been charged in this case, whereas 35% think he should not have been and 17% saying they do not know, per the ABC News/Ipsos poll conducted using Ipsos' KnowledgePanel.
Not surprisingly, an overwhelming majority (86%) of self-identified Democrats believe the former president should have been charged. On the other hand, Republicans remain mostly loyal to Trump, with two in three (67%) saying the former president and current frontrunner for the Republican nomination should not have been charged. Independents are more divided, with 45% believing he should have been charged, a third saying he should not have been, and 22% saying they don't know.
Overall, a solid majority of over three in five Americans find the charges either very (42%) or somewhat serious (19%), while only 28% of the public say it's not too serious or not serious at all. One in ten say they don't know. And party splits are expectedly polarized, with about nine in 10 Democrats saying the charges are very or somewhat serious while half of Republicans find them to be not too serious or not serious at all. A majority of independents (63%) find the charges very or somewhat serious, while 38% say they are not too serious or not serious at all.”
How does this compare to public views on Hillary Clinton malfeasance and unindicted crimes?
ABC News / Washington Post Poll (2016)
According to an ABC News/Washington Post poll dated July 16, 2016, found “Overall, 56 percent disapprove of FBI Director James Comey's recommendation not to charge Clinton, while just 35 percent approve. Similarly, 57 percent say the incident makes them worried about how Clinton might act as president if she is elected, with most very worried about it. Just 39 percent feel the issue isn't related to how she would perform as president.”
The 2016 poll also highlights the political divide and lens with “Nearly 9 in 10 Republicans disagree with the FBI's decision and say it worries them about what she would do if she became president.
Democrats see things very differently but with less unanimity. About two-thirds approve of the decision not to charge Clinton and think the issue is unrelated to what she would do as president. But 3 in 10 Democrats think she should have been charged.
Roughly 6 in 10 independents say the FBI was wrong and that the issue raises worries about Clinton as president.”
In summation, according to the numbers cited above:
Should they be charged according to ABC News polling?
· In 2023, 48% of Americans think President Trump should be charged.
· In 2016, 56% of Americans think Hillary Clinton should HAVE BEEN charged.
What are Republican opinions on charge or not-to-charge?
· In 2023, 33% of Republicans felt Trump should be charged.
· In 2016, approximately 9 out of 10 Republicans thought Hillary Clinton should be charged.
What are Democrat opinions on charge or not-to-charge?
· In 2023, 86% of Democrats thought Trump should be charged.
· In 2016, approximately 3 out of 10 Democrats thought Hillary Clinton should be charged.
And how about America’s Independents?
· In 2023, 45% of Independents think Trump should be charged.
· In 2016, nearly 6 out of 10 Independents think Hillary Clinton should be charged.
Partisans appear to be predictable when it comes to accusations and charges, depending on the person and their party affiliation.
Regarding our self-proclaimed political independent neighbors, 10% plus more thought Hillary should have been charged verses Trump. The press will not make note of this difference, but do these voters see the perceived crimes differently or is there a faction of Independents who have lost trust in the Department of Justice?
Time will tell.
Note: the opinions expressed herein are those of Chuck Warren only and not his co-host Sam Stone or Breaking Battlegrounds’ staff.