Voters Reveal Whether They Feel Donald Trump Is Receiving Fair Treatment In Court In Latest Poll — What That Means For Former President's Election Chances

Author: Nabaparna Bhattacharya | April 27, 2024 09:06am

With former President Donald Trump‘s criminal trial underway, only 13% believe he is receiving fair treatment. In comparison, 34% each feel he is being treated more harshly or more leniently than other defendants. 

Only 44% express confidence in a fair verdict following jury selection, with 56% skeptical that a fair outcome would take place, a recent CNN poll conducted by SSRS revealed. Furthermore, opinions on Trump’s behavior during the trial varied, with 42% finding it inappropriate, 25% appropriate, and a third undecided due to lack of information.

Interestingly, more Americans (45% compared to 39% last summer) believe the charges in the ongoing trial concerning Donald Trump’s alleged falsification of business records to conceal payments to Stormy Daniels are irrelevant to his presidential fitness, despite the accusations.

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Roughly 75% of voters supporting Trump in the 2024 election against President Joe Biden assert they’ll remain loyal even if he’s convicted of a crime, with 24% indicating that a conviction could potentially prompt them to reassess their support for him.

Trump is confronting charges in four separate cases, and the survey question asked about being convicted of a crime without detailing the charge, according to CNN. About 12% of all registered voters surveyed are open to reconsidering their stance, potentially crucial in a close race if he’s convicted in any of the four trials before Election Day.

The potential political ramifications of a conviction are uncertain, but an analysis of the characteristics of Trump supporters open to reconsideration provides some insights. 

They skew younger (64% under 50 compared to 37% who wouldn’t reconsider), are more racially diverse (49% people of color vs. 17%), and were more likely to have voted for Biden in 2020 (20% vs. 6%). They also more likely to acknowledge Biden’s legitimate victory in 2020 (63% vs. 22%), tend to be independents (49% vs. 31%), and are ideologically moderate (50% vs. 38%).

Views regarding the significance of the cases to Trump’s fitness for office seem to be evolving. 

While more people view the hush money charges as irrelevant to his suitability for the presidency, there’s also a slight increase in those deeming charges related to election interference and classified documents as irrelevant to his presidential fitness if proven true (37% now, up from 33% last summer).

Regarding the ongoing trial, the majority of Americans believe Trump has acted unethically. Still, fewer believe his actions were criminal: Approximately one-third (33%) view Trump’s actions related to his business records and hush money payments as illegal. In comparison, another third (33%) consider them unethical but not illegal. Only 12% believe he did nothing wrong in the case, with about 21% expressing uncertainty.

Read Next: Trump’s Request For New Trial In Rape Defamation Trial Rejected, Judge Says Ex-President’s Attacks On E. Jean Carroll ‘Malicious And Unceasing’

This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

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