Overwhelmingly, participants in a Yahoo! News Survey who have an opinion believe that Donald J. Trump should serve time if he is convicted of falsifying business records in the New York election interference case (media dubbed “hush money” case).
About half of those surveyed (51%) approved of a prison sentence. In contrast, only 36% disapproved. About 1-in-8 surveyed (13%) had no opinion. By similar measures (54%, 34%, 15%), poll participants “think the judge should jail Trump if he violates the gag order again.” More women than men favor incarceration.
What missing from news stories like this one in The Washington Post are how many have no opinion. The stories are written as though answers are binary: if 51% approve, then 49% must disapprove. This is misinformation by omission or by burying the lack of binary beliefs deep in the story.
Moreover, only about half of those surveyed have been following the trial very closely (16%) or somewhat closely (32%). One-in-five of those polled said they are “[n]ot following [the trial] at all.” In my opinion, their opinions should not have been included.
And 15% would not vote or are unsure of what they would do in November should Trump be found guilty. Not quite half, 46%, stated they will vote for Joe Biden.
* Survey methodology: 1,794 U.S. adults representing party affiliation from November 2022 (33% Democratic, 27% Republican) with 2.7% margin of error.
