A newly published NBC News survey indicates that a clear majority of Americans support the numerous investigations into former President Donald Trump, including inquiries into his attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election and the investigation into his improper removal of classified documents from the White House.
Fifty-seven percent of the poll’s respondents said that the investigations should continue because Trump should be held accountable, while just 40 percent said they didn’t support the investigations, citing a belief that they are politically motivated.
These views differed based on ideology; while 92 percent of Democratic-leaning voters and 61 percent of independents said that the inquiries should move forward, only 21 percent of Republican-leaning voters agreed.
Officials have opened several inquiries — at both the local and national levels — into Trump’s actions as president. These inquiries include (but are not limited to): a Fulton County, Georgia, investigation into his attempt to influence state election officials; a federal investigation into his improper removal of classified documents from the White House to his private Mar-a-Lago residence; and the House select committee’s investigation into the attack on the U.S. Capitol building by a mob of his loyalists.
Although the NBC News poll didn’t name each investigation specifically, it did ask about the January 6 attack. The poll found that most Americans still believe the former president was at least partially responsible for the violent breach of the Capitol building, with 50 percent of respondents saying they believe that Trump is “solely or mainly responsible,” and 16 percent saying they think he is “only somewhat responsible.” Only 33 percent said that Trump was “not really responsible” at all.
Although numerous polls have suggested that Americans approve of the direction these inquiries have been taking, Trump has continued to wrongly suggest on social media that most Americans oppose the investigations — and that his polling numbers are improving because of it.
Trump recently shared a post on his Truth Social site showing that he had a 40-point lead over Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis in a hypothetical GOP primary race. However, that same poll, conducted by Politico/Morning Consult, found that 58 percent of Americans believe Trump broke the law as president. Forty-nine percent of the poll’s respondents approved of the Mar-a-Lago search, while only 37 percent disapproved.
Predictably, Trump did not share that portion of the polling data.
Help us Prepare for Trump’s Day One
Trump is busy getting ready for Day One of his presidency – but so is Truthout.
Trump has made it no secret that he is planning a demolition-style attack on both specific communities and democracy as a whole, beginning on his first day in office. With over 25 executive orders and directives queued up for January 20, he’s promised to “launch the largest deportation program in American history,” roll back anti-discrimination protections for transgender students, and implement a “drill, drill, drill” approach to ramp up oil and gas extraction.
Organizations like Truthout are also being threatened by legislation like HR 9495, the “nonprofit killer bill” that would allow the Treasury Secretary to declare any nonprofit a “terrorist-supporting organization” and strip its tax-exempt status without due process. Progressive media like Truthout that has courageously focused on reporting on Israel’s genocide in Gaza are in the bill’s crosshairs.
As journalists, we have a responsibility to look at hard realities and communicate them to you. We hope that you, like us, can use this information to prepare for what’s to come.
And if you feel uncertain about what to do in the face of a second Trump administration, we invite you to be an indispensable part of Truthout’s preparations.
In addition to covering the widespread onslaught of draconian policy, we’re shoring up our resources for what might come next for progressive media: bad-faith lawsuits from far-right ghouls, legislation that seeks to strip us of our ability to receive tax-deductible donations, and further throttling of our reach on social media platforms owned by Trump’s sycophants.
We’re preparing right now for Trump’s Day One: building a brave coalition of movement media; reaching out to the activists, academics, and thinkers we trust to shine a light on the inner workings of authoritarianism; and planning to use journalism as a tool to equip movements to protect the people, lands, and principles most vulnerable to Trump’s destruction.
We urgently need your help to prepare. As you know, our December fundraiser is our most important of the year and will determine the scale of work we’ll be able to do in 2025. We’ve set two goals: to raise $93,000 in one-time donations and to add 1295 new monthly donors by midnight on December 31.
Today, we’re asking all of our readers to start a monthly donation or make a one-time donation – as a commitment to stand with us on day one of Trump’s presidency, and every day after that, as we produce journalism that combats authoritarianism, censorship, injustice, and misinformation. You’re an essential part of our future – please join the movement by making a tax-deductible donation today.
If you have the means to make a substantial gift, please dig deep during this critical time!
With gratitude and resolve,
Maya, Negin, Saima, and Ziggy