In new polling done recently by SSRS in collaboration with CNN, most respondents said they believe that criminal charges against former President Donald Trump related to his attempts to stay in power after the last presidential election despite losing should disqualify him from holding the office again. The exact portion saying as much reached 51 percent.
The polling was completed August 31. Among general respondents, near-majorities also said they believe two of Trump’s other criminal cases should disqualify him, saying as much around the Georgia election interference allegations and the federal classified documents charges. The pollsters described what it clearly seems are Trump’s election-related federal charges (where a majority expressed concern) as “related to his role in the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol.” The months of lies and schemes from Trump and allies of his did directly provide the fuel for what happened that day, many have attested.
The general sentiments were quite at odds with those expressed only by Republicans and independents identified as leaning towards the Republican Party. In that group, only 17 percent characterized the federal charges related to Trump’s January 6 plots as disqualifying — which correlates, of course, with the former president’s continued dominance in the GOP presidential primary. None of the other primary contenders are anywhere near him in most polling from the race. Florida GOP Governor Ron DeSantis was originally considered to have promising prospects in that contest, and he’s sunk dramatically in polling.
Notably, 46 percent of general respondents in this polling claimed they didn’t know Special Counsel Jack Smith by name. Imagine that. Smith is the prosecutor at the federal Justice Department responsible for the now two federal criminal cases that Trump is facing, and the former president has often targeted Smith by name in antagonistic remarks about the cases, though Smith doesn’t often speak publicly. The pollsters also asked respondents about Rudy Giuliani, the former New York City mayor-turned-co-defendant in Trump’s state-level Georgia case. Only 16 percent indicated they have a favorable opinion. Who still does?
