Americans are split when it comes to their opinion of the Department of Justice (DOJ) and FBI, particularly in light of the FBI’s raid of former President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home, a Convention of States Action/Trafalgar Group survey released Thursday found.
The survey asked, “What is your opinion of the Department of Justice and the FBI?”
Americans remain split, as 46.6 percent said the federal agencies are “to be respected for their pursuit of justice and law and order.” However, another 46.2 percent said both are “too political, corrupt, and not to be trusted,” while 7.2 percent remain unsure.
Democrats are far more likely to hold the DOJ and FBI in high esteem, as 73.7 percent said both are to be trusted. Meanwhile, 68.3 percent of Republicans said the FBI and DOJ are “too political, corrupt, and not to be trusted,” and 47.9 percent of independents agree. Another 43.7 percent of independents agree with a majority of Democrats who have a high opinion of the FBI and DOJ.
The survey follows the FBI’s unprecedented raid on Trump’s home in south Florida. When asked if the DOJ’s investigation into Trump is ill-willed, “only intended to prevent him from running for office in 2024,” 48.6 percent said yes, while 48.5 percent said no — a near-even split.
Local law enforcement officers are seen in front of the home of former President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida on August 9, 2022. (GIORGIO VIERA/AFP via Getty Images)
Half of independents believe the DOJ’s investigation has everything to do with preventing Trump from running in 2024, and 71.5 percent of Republicans and 21.4 percent of Democrats agree.
Then-President Donald Trump arrives to hold a Make America Great Again rally as he campaigns at Erie International Airport in Erie, Pennsylvania, October 20, 2020. (SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)
Unsurprisingly, Americans across the board are split when it comes to their belief of the FBI and DOJ remaining truthful in their stated reason for conducting the raid. In another near-even split, 48.7 percent said the FBI and DOJ are not being truthful, and 48.6 percent believe they are.
The survey was taken August 19-23, 2022, among 1,092 general election voters and has a +/- 2.9 percent margin of error.
Trump warned last week that political tensions have reached a boiling point following the raid on his home.
“The country is in a very dangerous position. There is tremendous anger like I’ve never seen before, over all of the scams, and this new one — years of scams and witch hunts, and now this,” Trump told Fox News.
“People are so angry at what is taking place,” he added. “Whatever we can do to help — because the temperature has to be brought down in the country. If it isn’t, terrible things are going to happen.”
The survey came ahead of a federal judge unsealing the affidavit seeking the search warrant for the FBI’s raid of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home, claiming to be concerned about the proper storage of “classified” information. Notably, the DOJ did not cite national security as a reason for redactions in the document.