Report reveals decrease in Trump's approval rating to a 2019 low point following the publication of the Mueller report.
The Reuters/Ipsos public opinion poll, conducted from Thursday afternoon to Friday morning, reveals that a significant portion of the American population believes that President Donald Trump or someone from his circle collaborated with Russia to influence the 2016 US presidential election.
The poll gathered responses from 1,005 adults and has a credibility interval of 4 percentage points. According to the poll, 37% of adults in the United States approved of President Trump's performance in office, a decrease from 40% in a similar poll conducted on April 15, and the lowest approval rating for the year.
The report, released by the U.S. Justice Department, recounted numerous occasions in which President Trump may have interfered with the investigation. However, it did not establish that the Trump campaign had coordinated with Russians.
The poll responses were sharply split along party lines. Fifty percent of Americans agree that "Trump or someone from his campaign worked with Russia to influence the 2016 election." Conversely, forty percent said they thought Trump should not. Among those respondents who were familiar with the Mueller report, 70% said it had not changed their view of Trump or Russia's involvement in the U.S. presidential race.
Convictions or guilty pleas were obtained from several Trump associates, including Paul Manafort, Michael Flynn, and Michael Cohen. Despite this, only 15% said they had learned something that changed their view of Trump or the Russia investigation. However, a majority of those respondents who had their views changed said they were now more likely to believe that "Trump or someone close to him broke the law."
Investigators did find "multiple acts by the President that were capable of exerting undue influence over law enforcement investigations." Forty percent said they thought Trump should be impeached. Among those who believed Trump or someone from his circle collaborated with Russia, 50% agreed that "Trump or someone from his campaign worked with Russia to influence the 2016 election."
The poll also indicated that only 15% said they had learned something that changed their view of Trump or the Russia investigation. Despite this, a majority of those respondents who had their views changed said they were now more likely to believe that "Trump or someone close to him broke the law."
The Mueller investigation charged 34 other people and three Russian entities. Despite the ongoing investigations, the poll showed that the American public's perception of the situation remains divided.
Read also:
- Lu Shiow-yen's Challenging Position as Chair of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Under Scrutiny in Donovan's Analysis
- Japanese leader stepping down from office
- Leaders Pashinyan and Aliyev convene at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation's annual gathering
- Policies proposed by Prabowo are causing a mix of optimism and unease among Indonesians
