A new poll from the Associated Press and the NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows Americans are deeply divided along party lines on whether President Donald Trump should be removed from office following his impeachment trial. The survey found that 74% of Democrats strongly believe Trump should be removed, while 72% of Republicans strongly feel he should remain in office.
The poll indicates that opinions are largely entrenched, with 77% of Democrats saying they are unlikely to change their view of Trump based on the Senate trial's outcome. For Republicans, that figure rises to 88%, suggesting the trial may have little impact on public opinion.
Overall, 45% of Americans think the Senate should convict and remove Trump, compared to 40% who oppose removal, with 14% undecided. Confidence in the Senate to conduct a fair trial is limited, though Republicans are more optimistic than Democrats.
On the substance of the charges, 54% of Republicans believe Trump did nothing wrong in his dealings with Ukraine, down from 64% in October. About a third think he acted unethically but not illegally, while only 1 in 10 see illegality. In contrast, roughly three-quarters of Democrats say Trump's actions were illegal.
The poll also found broad bipartisan support for allowing top aides to testify at the trial, with about 7 in 10 Americans in favour. Trump has said he would like his advisers to testify but cited national security concerns. The survey of 1,353 adults was conducted from January 16-21 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.6 percentage points.
