Poll: Two-thirds of Americans want a special prosecutor to investigate Trump and Russia


A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
Thank you for signing up to TheWeek. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
President Trump did not get a bump in the polls from his big speech to Congress last week, and in fact his favorability and job approval ratings have proved pretty steady since his inauguration — both numbers up to 45 percent, from 44 percent in January — according to a CNN/ORC International poll released Monday. But a prospective special prosecutor to investigate any ties between Russia and Trump's campaign or business interests has gotten a boost, with 65 percent of American adults backing a special prosecutor to handle the investigation versus 35 percent who think Congress can handle it.
A majority of respondents, 55 percent, say they are very (37 percent) or somewhat (18 percent) concerned about the Trump campaign's potential ties to Russian operatives, with 17 percent saying they are not very concerned and 28 percent saying they are not concerned at all. Political party affiliation drives that split, with Democrats and independents strongly worried about any Trump-Russia ties and Republicans largely blasé. That polarization on Trump and Russia has increased since his inauguration.
If Trump's favorability numbers have held steady, Congress and Vice President Mike Pence have gotten notably more popular. Congress' favorability numbers are up to 28 percent from 20 percent, while Pence is now viewed more favorably than Trump, with a 47 percent favorable and 37 percent unfavorable rating, up from his 40/37 percent split in January. The poll was conducted March 1-4 among 1,025 adults, and has a sampling error of ±3 percentage points.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Continue reading for free
We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.
Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.
Sign up to our 10 Things You Need to Know Today newsletter
A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
Peter Weber is a senior editor at TheWeek.com, and has handled the editorial night shift since the website launched in 2008. A graduate of Northwestern University, Peter has worked at Facts on File and The New York Times Magazine. He speaks Spanish and Italian and plays bass and rhythm cello in an Austin rock band. Follow him on Twitter.
-
Biden's stumble
Cartoons
By The Week Staff Published
-
The daily gossip: Travis Kelce chats about Taylor Swift's Chiefs game visit, Hollywood writers thrilled with details of new contract as strike ends, and more
The daily gossip: September 27, 2023
By Brendan Morrow Published
-
The Trump Organization is over
Cartoons
By The Week Staff Published
-
Biden creates White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention
Speed Read The office will be led by Vice President Kamala Harris
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Rishi Sunak lambasts China after allegations of spy in UK Parliament
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Judge denies Mark Meadows' request to move Georgia case to federal court
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Former New Mexico governor Bill Richardson dies at 75
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Clarence Thomas officially discloses trips from billionaire GOP donor
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Judge schedules Trump federal election plot trial for crowded March 2024
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Trump surrenders in Georgia election subversion case
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, Putin ally-turned-rival, presumed dead in plane crash
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published