Dem
51
GOP
49
A new CNN/SSRS poll shows that Americans want to know whether Donald Trump is a criminal before they vote. Among American adults, 48% definitely want a verdict before the election and another 16% would prefer a verdict before the election. Only 11% want the trial postponed until after the election. However, the partisan breakdown is very skewed, with 72% of Democrats, 52% of independents, and 20% of Republicans saying it is essential to have a verdict before the election. Also, among college graduates, 59% want a verdict before the election but among non-college Americans, only 42% want a verdict before the election. These results correlate strongly with partisanship, although not entirely so, such that there must really be people out there who would otherwise vote for Trump, but for a conviction.
Another question asked about Trump's efforts to remain president after the 2020 election. Here 45% said that he acted illegally, 32% said he acted unethically, but not illegally, and 23% said he did nothing wrong. Yet another question related to Schedule F, which Trump wants to use to fire tens of thousands of protected civil service workers and give their jobs to his supporters. Here 34% favored his plan and 66% opposed it.
Perhaps the most striking question and answer is the one that asked whether, once the election results are certified, the loser has an obligation to accept the results. Here, 86% said yes and 13% said no. This means that one American in 8 fundamentally does not accept democracy. We suppose it could be worse, but that is still a lot. (V)