In new polling done by Ipsos in partnership with Politico Magazine, a majority of Americans indicated they believe the federal trial against former President Donald Trump on criminal charges of election subversion should occur before the general election in next year’s presidential race. The portion saying so, thereby going against the recent push from Trump’s team for a years-long delay, reached 61 percent of the total.
A slightly smaller majority also said they believe Trump’s trial on these charges, which originated with Special Counsel Jack Smith, should happen before the Republican presidential primaries, which will get going early next year. The prosecutor responsible for one of Trump’s four cases, Georgia’s Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, already indicated a readiness to take her claims against Trump to trial before this year ends, though for now, that quick schedule will only apply to co-defendant Kenneth Chesebro. The Georgia case in which Trump was named includes a total of 19 defendants.
A full 63 percent of independents from the Ipsos data are included in the portion saying they believe Trump should go to trial in that federal case at least before the general election next year.
Trump in the meantime remains the favorite in the GOP presidential primary, consistently leading every other contender, including figures like Florida Governor Ron DeSantis who were previously considered to have good prospects in their ambitions of toppling Trump from the effective helm of the Republican Party. Some other Republicans in the presidential race remain curiously hesitant to even directly confront Trump. Most at the recent debate in the contest that was held in Milwaukee said they’d support Trump as their party’s nominee even if he was convicted of some of the felony offenses of which he’s now accused. (The total is past 90.)
And there’s even been expressed interest in pardoning Trump if one of these contenders somehow nabbed the presidency, though such a scenario is unlikely — and wouldn’t necessarily have any direct impact on his two state criminal cases!
