New Trump Poll: Majority Want 2024 Trial, Half Favor Prison If Convicted

Former President Donald Trump continues to be one of the front-running candidates for the 2024 presidential election.

Along with campaigning for president, Trump also faces a busy schedule of court dates related to four indictments and federal charges.

Here are the recent findings from a poll regarding what Americans believe about some of his alleged crimes.

What Happened: Trump has been indicted four times in 2023 and now faces federal charges related to interfering with the 2020 election, which saw him lose to President Joe Biden.

Election polls have seen Trump maintain a sizable lead among Republican candidates, with a new Morning Consult poll showing a 44-point lead over second-place candidate Ron DeSantis.

A new Politco/Ipsos poll conducted between Aug. 18 and Aug. 21 examines American voters' opinions on the charges Trump faces related to the 2020 election.

The poll asked voters if they believed Trump was guilty in the 2020 election interference case.

Among the respondents, 51% believed Trump is guilty of the charges related to the 2020 election. Meanwhile, 26% disagreed, and 22% were unsure.

Voters were split across parties, with a large majority (88%) of Democrats saying Trump is guilty, while a mere 14% of Republicans concurred. More concerning for Trump might be the fact that 21% of Republicans said they didn’t know if Trump was guilty, and the majority of Independent (53%) voters said he is guilty.

The poll found that 44% of voters would not change their support for Trump if he is convicted in the case. Conversely, 32% stated a conviction would diminish their likelihood of backing Trump. Among Independent voters, 34% indicated they'd be less inclined to support him if he were found guilty.

The majority of voters (59%) also believed that the Justice Department is being fair in its indictments against Trump. This perception is divided along party lines: 89% of Democrats deemed the actions fair, while 23% of Republicans agreed. A notable 64% of Independent voters also felt the Justice Department's approach has been equitable.

Related Link: Donald Trump Will Still Run For President If Convicted And Right Now That's Perfectly Legal 

What’s Next: Another portion of the poll looked at when the trial related to the 2020 election charges should take place.

The poll found that a majority of respondents believed the trial should be held before the 2024 election. Federal prosecutors would like to see the trial begin in early 2024. Lawyers for Trump want to see the trial pushed back to 2026, which could be in the middle of his presidency.

Among the surveyed voters, 61% said the trial should occur before the 2024 election. In contrast, 19% opposed this timing, and another 19% were uncertain about when it should be held. Of the Republicans polled, 45% said the trial shouldn't occur before the 2024 election, while 33% believed it should happen before the next presidential contest.

The majority of Democrats (89%) and Independent voters (63%) said the trial should take place ahead of the 2024 election.

According to Politico, a comparable poll in June regarding Trump's potential trial over classified documents indicated that only 48% of Independent voters believed the trial should be conducted before the 2024 election.

Another question asked voters what the punishment should be if Trump is convicted of the charges related to the 2020 election.

Exactly half (50%) of those polled said Trump should go to prison if he is convicted. The other options selected by voters were probation, no prison (16%), financial penalty (12%), and no penalty (18%).

Here’s a look at what voters said by party:

Republicans: Prison (11%), Probation (23%), Financial Penalty (19%), No Penalty (43%)

Democrats: Prison (87%), Probation (6%), Financial Penalty (4%), No Penalty (0%)

Independents: Prison (51%), Probation (18%), Financial Penalty (13%), No Penalty (14%).

Read Next: Donald Trup Is More Trusted Than Family, Friends Among His Supporters 

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