Survey: Majority of Americans favor Supreme Court's denial of Trump immunity claims

A recent poll released on Wednesday shows that a slight majority of Americans support the Supreme Court’s decision to allow former President Donald Trump to remain on the ballot. However, most of them are not convinced that he should be protected from prosecution.

The Marquette Law School poll revealed that 56% of respondents agreed with the high court’s ruling last month to keep Trump on Colorado’s presidential ballot, despite accusations of violating the “insurrectionist ban” in the 14th Amendment due to his actions leading up to the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol. About 4 in 10 individuals stated that they disagreed with the decision.

62% of respondents were against granting immunity to "former presidents," while only 20% supported the idea. The poll comes at a crucial time as the justices gear up to hear arguments in a high-profile case involving whether Trump can claim immunity in special counsel Jack Smith's election subversion case. Trump maintains his innocence and argues that his actions to challenge the 2020 election results were within his presidential duties.

Pollsters divided respondents into two groups - one asked about granting immunity to "former presidents" in general, and the other specifically about shielding "former President Donald Trump" from prosecution. Interestingly, the percentage of respondents in favor of immunity for Trump increased by 8 points.

The poll's director pointed out that the difference in opinion was mainly because Republicans, who typically do not support immunity for "former presidents," were more inclined to back such protections for Trump, the expected Republican presidential candidate.

Charles Franklin, who is a professor of law and public policy as well as the director of the Marquette Law School poll, highlighted that the noteworthy discovery was that Republicans changed their stance when asked about Trump specifically, as opposed to when referring to "former presidents."

"One implication is that Republicans may not be fully aware of the connection between Trump's Supreme Court appeal and the immunity case," he explained. "It seems that only when the question specifically mentions Trump do they quickly change their perspective, shifting their thoughts on 'former presidents' in general."

Former President Donald Trump attends a hearing to determine the date of his hush money trial in New York City on March 25, 2024.

Former President Donald Trump attends a hearing to determine the date of his hush money trial in New York City on March 25, 2024.

Mary Altaffer/AFP/POOL/Getty Images

The Supreme Court is set to hear arguments in the immunity case on April 25, which will be one of the most closely watched cases of the year.

In a separate study, researchers conducted interviews with half of the participants, informing them that the court had unanimously decided on the Trump “insurrectionist ban” dispute, while omitting this information from the other half. Interestingly, including the word “unanimously” resulted in a slightly higher approval rating for the decision, but also led to a higher percentage of respondents who were opposed.

The court came to a clear agreement on the final decision in the ballot case, but there was a significant division in their reasoning.

In recent years, public approval of the Supreme Court has decreased significantly due to controversial rulings. One notable decision was the 2022 ruling that reversed Roe v. Wade, the 1973 case that recognized the right to abortion as constitutional. Additionally, some justices have been criticized for their involvement in ethics and transparency issues.

The latest Marquette poll shows that 47% of people approve of the job the Supreme Court is doing. This is a slight increase from previous polls, but still lower than its approval rating three years ago.

The poll was conducted from March 18-28 and involved interviews with 1,000 adults across the country using the SSRS Opinion Panel. The margin of sampling error is plus or minus 4 percentage points.

Editor's P/S:

The article reveals a complex and somewhat contradictory public opinion regarding the Supreme Court's decisions on former President Trump. While a majority supports the court's ruling to keep Trump on the ballot, a larger majority opposes granting immunity to former presidents. This suggests a nuanced understanding among Americans of the balance between upholding the rule of law and protecting individuals from undue prosecution.

The poll also highlights the partisan divide on these issues. Republicans are more likely to support immunity for Trump specifically, indicating a willingness to make exceptions for their preferred political figure. This raises concerns about the potential for selective justice and the erosion of democratic norms. As the Supreme Court prepares to hear Trump's immunity case, it will be crucial for the justices to navigate these complex public sentiments while upholding the integrity of the legal system and the principles of equality before the law.