The federal indictment of former President Donald Trump is bad for the country, according to a majority of voters, who agree that it makes America look like a “banana republic.”
That’s according to Rasmussen Reports.
“Banana republic” is a derogatory term used to describe unstable nations where corrupt leaders operate to their own financial benefit rather than to the benefit of citizens.
The survey finds that 54% say they believe that the Department of Justice (DOJ) charging Trump with multiple felony counts is bad for America. Officials from the same DOJ have gotten caught framing Trump, falsely claiming he colluded with Russia, falsifying evidence to obtain a wiretap against a Trump associate, using untrue political opposition research paid for by the Hillary Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee, and more. The then-head of the FBI James Comey was referred for prosecution by the Inspector General after Comey got caught removing sensitive and classified documents from the FBI, taking them home to use against then-President Trump, and leaking some of them to a friend to give to the New York Times to report. The DOJ declined to prosecute Comey.
Thirty-five percent (35%) in the survey say they think Trump’s indictment is good for America.
Trump has plead not guilty to more than three dozen counts, most of which allege unlawful hoarding of national security information. Trump was negotiating with federal archive authorities at the time the FBI conducted a controversial SWAT team style raid at Trump’s Florida Mar-a-Lago home. It is the first known raid of its kind against a former president over a document question. Trump was arguing that he had a right to the documents and that he had used his presidential authority to declassify them. A court had not weighed in on the dispute between Trump and archives officials when the FBI went ahead with the raid.
In contrast, former Vice President Mike Pence admitted he took documents that he should not have taken, and unlike Trump did not claim they had been declassified. He denied having any such documents before ultimately notifying the FBI that he did have materials. However, he was not charged.
President Biden, through his attorneys, has turned over numerous caches of classified documents that he acknowledges he should not have had. Again, unlike Trump, the Biden documents had no chain of custody indicating where they had been. There is no way to know how long Biden was aware he had the materials before his attorneys told archivists. His lawyers claim the disclosures were made as soon as they were known. Biden kept a series of the disclosures secret at the time he and his attorneys began working with the FBI. The FBI did not raid any of Biden’s home, but allowed his attorneys to continue to conduct searches and turn over materials they said theey found.
After news of Trump’s indictment broke, Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy said on Twitter: “This is an affront to every citizen: we cannot devolve into a banana republic where the party in power uses police force to arrest its political opponents. It’s hypocritical for the DOJ to selectively prosecute Trump but not Biden.”
Fifty-eight percent (58%) of voters says they agree with that statement, including 46% who say they “strongly agree.”
Thirty-four percent (34%) say they disagree with the quote from Ramaswamy, including 25% who say they “strongly disagree.”
To see survey question wording, click here.
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