Only a THIRD of Americans think Trump acted illegally in hush money case: Voters are VERY skeptical the former president will get a fair trial in shocking new poll
- Only 35 percent of Americans believe Trump has acted illegally
- 44 percent of Americans are not confident that Trump will be treated fairly by New York prosecutors
- The trial begins its second day on Tuesday as jury selection continues
As former President Donald Trump’s trial begins in New York, only about a third of Americans believe he committed a crime, according to a new poll released Tuesday.
A new AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research Poll shows that only 35 percent of Americans in the poll say Trump did something illegal in the hush money case. Thirty-one percent believe Trump has acted unethically but not illegally, and 14 percent believe he has done nothing wrong.
Trump is accused of falsifying company records to cover up money paid to porn star Stormy Daniels to ensure her silence about a sexual encounter she claimed she had with him in 2006. Trump continues to deny the meeting.
Former President Donald Trump leaves Trump Tower and heads to Manhattan Criminal Court
The trial begins its second day on Tuesday as jury selection continues.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg believes Trump violated election laws by recording the payment as part of his legal fees paid to his personal attorney Michael Cohen. Bragg has charged Trump with 34 felonies for falsifying company records and the former president has pleaded not guilty.
A majority of Americans are skeptical of the trial, and there is some doubt about whether the former president will be treated fairly.
Forty-four percent of Americans are not confident that Trump will be treated fairly by prosecutors in New York, while 22 percent seem somewhat confident and 31 percent are very confident.
Former President Donald Trump speaks to the press ahead of the second day of jury selection in his hush money trial
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (L) arrives at Manhattan Criminal Court for the second day of the trial of former US President Donald Trump
Confidence in New York’s prosecutors varies somewhat by party: 75 percent of Republicans think they will not treat the former president fairly and 57 percent of Democrats think they will. Forty-four percent of independents are not confident that Trump will be treated fairly
Only about two in 10 Americans are extremely or very confident that the judges and jurors in the cases against them can be fair and impartial.
The survey of 1,204 adults was conducted April 4 to 8 with a margin of error of 3.9 percent.