The majority of Americans want to see a verdict on the federal charges faced by Former President Donald Trump for election subversion in 2020 before this year’s presidential election, as per a new CNN poll. About half of Americans believe it’s crucial to reach a verdict before the 2024 presidential election, with most expecting Trump to pardon himself if convicted of any federal crimes or refusing to concede if he loses the election. Despite their partisan differences, broad majorities across party lines expect Trump to take significant actions, such as deporting millions of undocumented immigrants and pardoning himself if reelected.
Trump currently faces four separate criminal indictments, including federal charges related to his alleged efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. The trial date was originally scheduled for March 4 but was postponed after the survey was conducted. There is also skepticism regarding the Supreme Court’s trust to make the right decisions on any legal cases related to the 2024 election, with just 42% of Americans expressing a great deal or a moderate amount of trust in the court.
Despite the lack of trust and varied opinions regarding Trump’s post-election actions, the vast majority of the public supports the basic principle that political candidates should accept the results of US elections. Americans expect Trump to make sweeping and largely unpopular policy changes if reelected, including deporting millions of undocumented immigrants, firing federal workers who oppose his policies, and enacting various other significant actions. While those ideas are not well-received by the public, many Republicans express support for Trump using the presidency to carry out those actions, which indicates a partisan divide on Trump’s potential agenda if re-elected.