As the first criminal trial of a sitting or former president gets underway, a new survey by the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research states that about two-thirds of American adults do not think that Donald Trump behaved improperly in the hush money case.
About the so-called hush money payments made to seedy porn actress Stormy Daniels in return for her silence on an alleged affair, Trump was charged with 34 counts of falsifying company documents. According to Stormy, the affair took place in 2006, the same year that Mr. Trump wed Melania.
Trump maintains his denial of the affair’s existence and has pleaded not guilty.
Half of American voters would not support Trump’s re-election if he were found guilty in the hush money case, according to the survey. Jury selection in the Daniels case started on Monday, and just about a third of American citizens think that Trump did something unlawful. In contrast, over half of all Americans believe that Trump did something illegal in the other three criminal cases that are now pending against him.
The survey reveals that the public has reasonable doubts about the impartiality of the judge and jury in matters concerning Trump and whether the prosecutors are treating him properly.
Although a New York jury will decide whether to convict Trump of criminal charges, the public’s perception of the trial might negatively impact his political career. Half of the country thinks Trump can’t be president if he’s found guilty of forging company records. According to the survey, a conviction likely will be detrimental to Trump’s candidacy.
Trump faces indictment as he rematches with Joe Biden, making history as the first significant party contender and former president to be indicted. He will likely receive the GOP nomination at the Republican National Convention, about six weeks away.
