CNN Poll: Trump Treated Differently Than Other Defendants

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A majority of Americans believe former President Donald Trump is being treated differently than other defendants regarding his criminal trial in New York over allegations of falsifying business records to cover a payment to porn star Stormy Daniels, a CNN poll found.

The poll, released Friday, of 1,212 adults taken April 18-23 found 34% said he was being treated more harshly than other defendants and the same number found he was being treated more leniently. The poll has a margin of error of +/- 3.4 percentage points. Just 13% said he was being treated the same.

Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, has pleaded not guilty to all 34 charges he is facing and has denied any wrongdoing, calling the trial a political witch hunt and election interference.

Among Democrats polled, 60% said Trump was being treated more leniently, with 33% of independents and 10% of Republicans agreeing. But 67% of Republicans said he was being treated too harshly, with 27% of independents and 9% of Democrats agreeing. Just 17% of independents, 16% of Democrats, and 7% of Republicans said he was being treated the same.

Also in the poll, 56% said they are not too confident or not at all confident Trump will receive a fair trial, given the jury pool from New York is largely made up of those who likely did not vote for him. The survey showed 44% were very confident or somewhat confident Trump would receive a fair trial.

In an Economist/YouGov poll released April 14-16, 43% said Trump should be convicted in the New York trial, with 37% saying he shouldn’t, and 20% not sure. But when asked if he will be convicted, 36% said no, 23% said yes, and 39% said they were not sure. The poll of 1,574 adults had a margin of error of +/- 3.2 percentage points.