Will Trump Weaponize DOJ, Deport Illegal Immigrants If He Returns To White House? What Majority Respondents In New Poll Think

With opinion polls placing Donald Trump ahead of his fellow Republicans in the primaries and narrowly ahead of President Joe Biden, new poll results released on Monday shed light on how a potential second Trump term might unfold from a policy perspective.

The findings, from a CNN-commissioned poll conducted by SSRS on Jan. 25-30, surveyed a nationally representative panel of U.S. adults ages 18 or older.

What Happened: When questioned about potential actions under a Trump re-election, 74% of respondents believed he would direct the Department of Justice to investigate his political rivals, with 88% of Democrats, 58% of Republicans, and 76% of Independents in agreement. However, only 31% of respondents favored such actions, while 69% opposed them.

An overwhelming 78% believed Trump would pardon himself of federal charges if convicted and re-elected, while 82% anticipated he would attempt to dismiss federal officials who opposed his policies. Additionally, 77% believed he would seek to pardon individuals convicted of crimes related to the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

The poll also revealed that 89% of respondents believed Trump would detain and deport millions of undocumented immigrants, and 77% anticipated he would attempt to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.

See Also: In Biden Vs. Trump Matchup, One Candidate Widens His Lead In New Poll, Fueled By Support Among This Demographic

Regarding the trial timeline for the 2020 election subversion case, 48% preferred a verdict before the 2024 presidential election, while 16% saw it as preferable but not essential before the election. Eleven percent preferred the trial after the 2024 election, and 25% felt the timing was inconsequential.

Why It’s Important: Trump, facing a barrage of civil and criminal charges, recently had the trial date for federal charges related to overturning the 2020 election results postponed due to an appeal by his legal team, claiming immunity from prosecution for actions taken while he was president.

Immigration has emerged as a significant election issue, with 48% of respondents supporting Trump’s deportation of illegal immigrants, while 52% opposed it, according to the CNN survey.

Read Next: How To Invest In Startups