In a new AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll, it has been revealed that the first criminal trial facing former President Donald Trump is the one in which Americans are least convinced he committed a crime. The trial, which involves hush money payments, has only about one-third of U.S. adults believing that Trump did something illegal, while close to half think he did something illegal in the other three criminal cases pending against him.
Despite the skepticism surrounding the trial, half of Americans would consider Trump unfit to serve as president if he is convicted of falsifying business documents to cover up hush money payments to a woman he allegedly had an affair with. The poll suggests that a conviction could hurt Trump’s campaign, as he is set to enter a rematch with President Joe Biden as the first presumptive nominee of a major party to be under indictment.
Trump has vehemently denied any wrongdoing and has made the prosecutions against him a centerpiece of his campaign, claiming without evidence that Biden engineered the cases. However, public opinion of the trial proceedings could have a significant impact on how Americans perceive his candidacy, especially among independent voters and those who have long been skeptical of Trump.
The poll also found that a significant number of Americans believe Trump did something illegal in other cases, such as regarding classified documents found at his Florida home and his alleged attempt to interfere in Georgia’s vote count in the 2020 presidential election. Prosecutors in New York are arguing that Trump falsified his company’s internal records to hide a payment to his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, who allegedly paid off adult film actress Stormy Daniels to silence her claims about an extramarital affair with Trump.
Overall, the poll highlights the deep divide in public opinion regarding Trump’s legal troubles, with Republicans much less likely than Democrats and independents to believe he committed a crime. The outcome of the trial and its impact on Trump’s political future remain uncertain as the proceedings continue.