A recent poll shows that as the first criminal prosecution against former President Trump begins in the United States, 68% of Americans surveyed believe that Trump is being treated differently from other criminal defendants.
The survey conducted by SSRS for CNN took place from April 18 to 23, polling 1,212 respondents with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.4 percentage points.
According to the poll, only 13% of the country thinks Trump is being treated the same as other criminal defendants. When compared to other defendants, there is a split in opinions with most people thinking Trump is being treated more harshly (34%) or more leniently (34%).
This survey was conducted shortly after the jury selection phase began on April 15. The results revealed that only 44% of Americans believe the selected jury can render a fair judgment, while 56% of respondents remain skeptical of a just outcome.
CNN’s analysis of the poll results on April 25 suggests that Trump’s potential convictions in any of the four upcoming trials, including the “hush money” case, classified document case, 1/6 Capitol riot case, and Georgia election case, could have a significant impact on the 2024 U.S. presidential election. Trump might lose some voter support, but it is unlikely that Trump supporters would turn to Biden.
The trial for Trump’s “hush money” case began last Monday, marking the first criminal trial against a former U.S. president. Trump is charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records related to payments made by his former lawyer, Michael Cohen. Cohen paid $130,000 to an adult film actress before the 2016 election to keep her silent about her extramarital affair with Trump.
Trump has denied these allegations. In court, Trump referred to the payments made by his lawyer as “legal expenses” and claimed he was unaware of the specific financial transactions.
Furthermore, a recent poll conducted by The Economist and YouGov shows that 24% of Americans surveyed believe Trump will be convicted in the “hush money” case, while 36% do not believe he will be convicted, and 39% are uncertain.
In the same poll, 43% of respondents feel Trump should be convicted in this case, while 37% believe he should not be convicted, and 20% are undecided.