Trump Or The FBI — Who Americans Believe: Marist Poll

POUGHKEEPSIE, NY — For months, President Donald Trump has leveled criticisms at the FBI and some of its top officials. Many of the sentiments have been echoed by the president’s supporters and conservative media. FBI Director James Comey was fired. FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe was in effect pushed out because of allegations of anti-Trump bias, even though he was interviewed to take over the bureau after Comey was let go.

But on whose side does the public stand in the tussle between the White House and the FBI?

According to a Marist Poll, two-thirds of Americans — 66 percent — said they would believe the FBI over Trump if the agency and the president were to disagree.

Only 24 percent said they would take Trump’s side.

With the exception of the president’s most ardent supporters, the Marist Poll found more Americans put credence in the FBI than in the president.

Seven in 10 Americans don’t think the nation’s top law enforcement agency is out to get the president or his administration — 71 percent think the bureau is just doing its job.

In contrast, 23 percent believe the FBI is biased against the president.

While 49 percent of Republicans believe the FBI has a grievance against Trump, more than four in 10, or 43 percent, said the bureau is just carrying out its duties.

“If the White House was banking on the release of the Nunes memo to flip public opinion against the FBI, that has not happened,” said Dr. Lee M. Miringoff, director of the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion.

“In fact, the Nunes memo becomes just another page in a lengthy book on the investigation,” he said.

California Republican Rep. Devin Nunes, as chairman of the House intelligence committee, released a four-page memo, which was declassified by the White House, alleging the FBI abused surveillance procedures to obtain secret warrants.

In contrast to the President Trump, the FBI is held in favor among many Americans, with 65 percent having a favorable impression of the bureau. Unfavorables are 28 percent.

Regardless of demographic group, at least a majority of Americans, including 55 percent of Republicans, have a positive view of the FBI, the Marist Poll found.

Trump continues to suffer from a low favorable rating and a low job approval rating. Only 35 percent of U.S. adults have a positive impression of the president; 57 percent have a negative one.

Trump’s job performance is about the same: 38 percent approve; 54 percent disapprove. Seven percent are unsure.

That is nearly identical to his favorable and job approval ratings from January.

The proportion of Americans who strongly disapprove of how the president is performing in his job is up from 39 percent to 44 percent and also continues to outweigh the proportion of those who strongly approve — 24 percent.

The Mueller Investigation

Similarly to the face off between the president and the FBI, a majority of Americans are more likely to believe Special Counsel Robert Mueller, at 55 percent, than Trump, at 30 percent.

One percent believes both, 4 percent believe neither and 11 percent are unsure.

With Mueller investigating potential Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, 70 percent of Americans, including 55 percent of Republicans, want Mueller to finish his investigation.

Only 16 percent of Americans think Mueller should be fired, with 14 percent being unsure.

Mueller Who?

The Marist Poll found that despite Mueller’s high-profile investigation, he remains relatively unknown to Americans. Thirty-nine percent are unsure or have never heard of him. Thirty-three percent have a favorable view of him and 27 percent have a negative opinion.

“Although most Americans think the Mueller investigation is fair and should move ahead to completion, his standing in the court of public opinion is not solid given the large proportion of people who have not formed an impression of him,” Miringoff said.

Russia, Russia, Russia

While many Americans don’t think Trump has done anything illegal in his dealings with Russia and President Vladimir Putin, they aren’t ready to clear Trump of all wrong doing.

More than half — 57 percent — believe President Trump acted either illegally (29 percent) or unethically but did not break the law (28 percent).

Only 36 percent said Trump did nothing wrong.

The Marist Poll said that the proportion of those who think Trump’s behavior was illegal is up from 22 percent in October.

The Marist Poll surveyed 1,012 adults in the contiguous United States from Feb. 5 through Feb. 7.

Complete methodology of the Marist Poll can be found here.

Photo caption: The FBI headquarters is seen on February 2, 2018 in Washington, DC. Photo credit: Mark Wilson/Getty Images.