Almost half of Americans say Trump will likely be cleared in the Russia investigation this year


Special Counsel Robert Mueller is reportedly poised to request an interview with President Trump in the coming weeks or months, but a plurality of Americans think nothing will come of it. Overall, an entire 48 percent of voters say it is very or somewhat likely that Trump will be cleared of any wrongdoing in 2018, while 37 percent say it is not too likely or not likely at all that Trump will be cleared, a new poll by Politico/Morning Consult has found.
Mueller is reportedly interested in learning whether or not Trump tried to obstruct justice, and is less interested in "the broader question of possible collusion with Russia," The New York Times writes. Tellingly, fewer than a third of voters believe Trump will leave office in the next year, although more than half of Democrats think it is very or somewhat likely.
Mueller's probe has so far ensnared Trump's former campaign manager Paul Manafort and his business associate and Trump's former foreign policy adviser, George Papadopoulos. Four in 10 Americans say it is a distinct possibility that one of Trump's relatives such as Donald Trump Jr. or Jared Kushner will be indicted in the coming months too.
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.
The poll reached 1,988 voters between Jan. 4-5 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 2 points. Read the full results at Politico.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
-
The best shows to see at Edinburgh Fringe 2025
The Week Recommends The world's biggest arts festival is back with an incredible line-up
-
Wonsan-Kalma: North Korea's new 'mammoth' beach resort
Under the Radar Pyongyang wants to boost tourism but there won't be many foreign visitors to Kim Jong Un's 'pet project'
-
The 5 best TV reboots of all time
The Week Recommends Finding an entirely new cast to play beloved characters is harder than it looks
-
AI scammer fakes Rubio messages to top officials
Speed Read The unknown individual mimicked Rubio in voice and text messages sent to multiple government officials
-
SCOTUS greenlights Trump's federal firings
speed read The Trump administration can conduct mass federal firings without Congress' permission, the Supreme Court ruled
-
New tariffs set on 14 trading partners
Speed Read A new slate of tariffs will begin August 1 on imports from Japan, South Korea, Thailand and more
-
Elon Musk launching 'America Party'
Speed Read The tech mogul promised to form a new political party if Trump's megabill passed Congress
-
Judge blocks Trump's asylum ban at US border
Speed Read The president violated federal law by shutting down the US-Mexico border to asylum seekers, said the ruling
-
Thai court suspends prime minister over leaked call
Speed Read Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has been suspended, pending an ethics investigation
-
Senate passes GOP megabill after Alaska side deal
The pivotal yes vote came from Sen. Lisa Murkowski, whose support was secured following negotiated side deals for her home state Alaska
-
Trump sues LA over immigration policies
Speed Read He is suing over the city's sanctuary law, claiming it prevents local law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration authorities