Despite consistent smear campaigns against President Donald Trump, only one in three US adults believes accusations thrown at him by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, according to the latest polling by the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
Trump is currently facing 34 counts of felony charges after being accused by Bragg of falsifying his company’s internal records to allegedly pay adult film actor Stormy Daniels.
Based on the survey, only one-third of US adults say that the former president is guilty of falsifying business records to silence adult film star Stormy Daniels amid the 2016 elections.
As the jury selection on his criminal trial proceeds, 31 percent claim Trump committed something “unethical, but not illegal.” Meanwhile, 14 percent believe the former president did “nothing wrong,” while 19 percent responded that they “don’t know enough to say.”
Additionally, only 3 in 10 respondents think that prosecutors treat Trump fairly, while the majority are skeptical that the judge and the jurors can be impartial.
Christopher Ruff, a 46-year-old who identifies as a political independent and museum curator, remarked: “It’s very obvious political persecution.”
Ruff added that despite not being a fan of Trump, the charges against him were “obviously all political.”
Meanwhile, Jennifer Solich, a Republican based in Pennsylvania, remarked, “I don’t think any of that stuff has any relevance to his ability to lead this country.”
“There may be some unethical aspects to it. I just think it’s more trivial than what we’re facing as a nation.”
“He’s done nothing wrong,” said Louie Tsonos, another Republican from Carleton, Michigan.
“Because Trump has a lot of money and fame, they want to destroy his reputation. Or at least they are trying to,” he added.
Meanwhile, Trump, at the opening of the criminal trial against him, emphasized outside the New York City courthouse that the ongoing charges against him are nothing but political persecution.
“Nothing like this has ever happened before. It’s a case that should have never been brought,” Trump added.
“This is an assault on America, and that’s why I’m very proud to be here.”
Judge Juan Merchan, who is handling Trump’s case, is under tight scrutiny for his potential political bias after his daughter was exposed to be a political consultant to top Democrats, including President Joe Biden and Rep. Adam Schiff. Meanwhile, his wife, Lauren Merchan, worked as a special assistant in the New York Attorney General’s office for 21 years, three years under Letitia James.
The decision of Judge Merchan on Bragg’s witchhunt will come in the next six weeks.
