Debate Over Trump Indictment Sparks Fierce Division in US Public Opinion...

"Prosecution is Inevitable" vs "Political Prosecution" Divided

Former U.S. President Donald Trump has become the first former president in U.S. history to be indicted on federal charges, and Bloomberg News reported on the 11th (local time) that public opinion in the United States is sharply divided between Republican and Democratic supporters over this indictment.

According to a poll conducted over two days from the 9th to the 10th by U.S. ABC and polling firm Ipsos, surveying 910 Americans, 61% of all respondents said that the charge against former President Trump for removing classified documents was a "serious matter," the news agency reported.

By party affiliation, 91% of Democratic supporters and 38% of Republicans viewed the charges against former President Trump as serious.

When asked whether former President Trump should be indicted for the removal of classified documents, 48% answered yes, while 35% said he should not be indicted. Additionally, 46% of the total respondents said that former President Trump should stop his election campaign.

Separately, 47% of all respondents said that this indictment was politically motivated. Ipsos stated that this response was mainly led by Republican supporters. On the other hand, Democratic supporters answered that former President Trump should be indicted and should stop his election campaign, the firm reported.

Bloomberg stated, "About one-third of Americans believe that the U.S. government was 'wrong' to indict former President Trump on charges such as the removal of classified documents, and about three-quarters of Republican supporters think this indictment was 'politically motivated.'"

It also analyzed, "The results of this poll show that more respondents view the federal prosecution of former President Trump over the Mar-a-Lago classified document leak as more serious than the indictment related to payments made to an adult film actress to silence a sexual scandal."

Former U.S. President Donald Trump. [Image source=AFP Yonhap News]

Earlier, in an April poll released by ABC and Ipsos regarding the sexual scandal hush money charges, 88% of Democratic supporters said "he should be indicted," while 65% of Republican supporters said "he should not be indicted." At that time, 47% of all respondents said the case was politically motivated.

Former President Trump was indicted on the 8th by federal prosecutors?the first former president to be indicted?on charges including the mass removal of classified documents and storing them at his Mar-a-Lago resort residence in Florida. The indictment was made public the following day. According to the indictment, he leaked top-secret documents containing information on foreign nuclear capabilities, potential vulnerabilities of the U.S. and its allies to military attacks, and retaliation plans against foreign attacks.

Meanwhile, political division in the U.S. is also severe over this issue. The opposition Republican Party criticized the indictment, accusing the Democrats of "politicizing the judiciary." Kevin McCarthy, Speaker of the House and a Republican, recently wrote on his Twitter, "It is unscrupulous for the president to indict a leading candidate on the opposing side," adding, "All Americans who believe in me and the rule of law will stand with former President Trump against this grave injustice."

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a potential Republican presidential candidate, also tweeted, "The weaponization of federal law enforcement is a deadly threat to a free society," and directly questioned, "Why is the prosecution so zealous in pursuing former President Trump but so passive toward Hunter Biden and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton?"

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.