A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll published on April 6th reveals that the indictment of former US President Donald Trump has created a divide among Americans, but it seems to have improved his chances of securing the Republican nomination for the 2024 election. The survey, conducted on April 5th and 6th, involved 1,004 US adults, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.8 percentage points for all respondents and plus or minus 6.3 percentage points for the 368 Republican participants.
According to the poll, 49% of all Americans believe that it was appropriate for prosecutors to pursue criminal charges against a former or sitting US president. While 84% of self-identified Democrats agreed that the charges were warranted, only 16% of Republicans concurred.
Among the Republicans surveyed, 40% said that the case made them more likely to vote for Trump in the 2024 election, while 12% claimed it would make them less likely to do so. 38% said that it had no influence on their voting decisions. Trump currently holds a commanding lead in the Republican nomination race, with 58% of Republicans saying that he is their preferred candidate, up from 48% in a poll released just a few days before.
The poll revealed that the belief that Trump arranged for payments to keep Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal quiet about their alleged extramarital relationships is widespread among both Democrats and Republicans, with 73% of Americans agreeing. Furthermore, 55% of Republicans shared this view.
The survey also highlighted the strong divide between Democrats and Republicans, with 76% of Republicans believing that some law enforcement officials are attempting to delegitimize Trump through politically motivated investigations, while only 34% of Democrats agreed. The charges against Trump were deemed disqualifying for a presidential run by 51% of all respondents, but only 18% of Republicans.
