CBS News poll: Views on the Trump trial remain unchanged after the verdict
After the verdict, views about former president Donald Trump’s New York Criminal Trial look very similar to what they looked like before.
Over half of Americans thought that Trump was guilty prior to the verdict. Now, just over half believe the jury reached the correct verdict and the trial was fair.
Republicans are still overwhelmingly convinced that Trump has been unfairly treated. Those who believe the verdict is wrong echo the sentiments of the former president. They call the jury biased and say that the evidence was inadequate.
In another sign of the nation’s partisan divide, the half of the country believes that Trump is not fit to be president after he was convicted of a criminal offense.
We recontacted all the Americans that we had interviewed before the verdict was rendered. Hearing the jury’s ruling hasn’t made many of them change their minds.
The U.S. Justice System as a Whole is affected by this. Most Democrats report that it has increased their confidence in the justice system. Three quarters of Republicans say that it has made them feel less confident.
The verdict is largely in line with the views that people had of Trump before the verdict. Nine out of 10 people who believed Trump had been guilty before the verdict now believe the jury made the right decision.
Overall, the verdict does not evoke a single emotion in the nation. Democrats are mostly relieved and happy, but few express optimism. Republicans are less angry than disappointed, but they’re not surprised. Respondents may express more than one emotion.
The majority of Republicans do not believe that Trump was convicted in this case of serious crimes. Six in ten of those who believe the jury made the wrong decision say that the crimes were “not serious at all.” They also feel that Trump has been treated worse than other criminal defendants.
Also, there is disagreement about what punishment would be appropriate for the crime. The majority of Americans don’t think Trump should go to prison for his conviction. However, opinions are very partisan.
This loyalty is expressed in many previous issues and also during the primary season. This desire for loyalty has been expressed in many issues of previous issues, as well during primary season.
Although opinions did not change much immediately after the verdict, it is possible that they could shift — particularly among those who aren’t paying attention. The trial has been closely followed by those who hold the strongest opinions. Most people who didn’t know much about the trial before the verdict say that they are still not closely following it.
This CBS News/YouGov study is based upon a nationally-representative sample of 989 U.S. adult respondents who were contacted again on May 30 – June 1, 2024 after Donald Trump’s criminal case in New York City had concluded. The initial survey was conducted by CBS News/YouGov on May 14 -21, 2024 before a decision was made. The margin of error in the recontact study is +-5.2.
