CNN Poll: Only 13% Believe Trump Treated Similarly to Other ‘Criminal Defendants’

A CNN poll released on Friday found that only 13% of respondents believe former President Donald Trump is being treated the same as other “criminal defendants.” This aligns with Trump’s claim that efforts to bankrupt and imprison him are politically motivated by the White House.

According to the poll, 34% of respondents said Trump is being treated more harshly than other defendants, while 34% said he is being treated more leniently. Nineteen percent said they hadn’t heard enough to comment, and 0% had no opinion.

Additionally, the poll revealed that most Americans are not confident in a fair outcome for Trump:

• 44% expressed confidence in the jury’s ability to reach a fair verdict.
• 56% were doubtful that a fair outcome is possible.

The CNN poll sampled 1,212 adults from April 18-23 and has a margin of error of 3.4 points.

Matthew Colangelo, a former official in the Biden Justice Department (DOJ), presented the prosecution’s opening statement on Monday in the Trump criminal trial. Colangelo was recently hired by Democrat New York County District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office, despite lacking extensive white-collar prosecutorial experience at the time.

Colangelo’s broad knowledge of the Trump Organization was valued by Bragg’s office, as reported by the New York Times. Colangelo previously worked for Attorney General Letitia James, who investigated Trump for three years before filing a civil lawsuit against him and the Trump Organization in 2022.

During his tenure with James, Colangelo played a role in Trump’s civil case and led federal initiatives involving lawsuits against the Trump administration and investigations into the Trump Foundation.

An AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll released on Tuesday found that only about one-third of American adults believe Trump did something illegal in the case.