In the aftermath of the indictment and arraignment of former President Donald Trump by the Biden Justice Department, public opinion has taken a significant turn against the case. A recent Harvard CAPS/Harris poll reveals that a majority of Americans, standing at 55 percent, perceive the Trump indictment as politically motivated rather than a valid case. Furthermore, an alarming 56 percent believe that the indictment amounts to interference by the Department of Justice in the upcoming 2024 elections. Only 44 percent of Americans view the case as a fair application of the law, painting a concerning picture of public sentiment.
[Name redacted], in a post on his website, contends that this poll accurately captures the deep-rooted distrust for the Justice Department and serves as a glaring failure of Attorney General Merrick Garland at the midpoint of his tenure. Turley’s analysis highlights the worsening perception of the case, with a decreasing number of individuals finding the indictment well-founded and justified. Notably, a substantial 83 percent of Republicans and 55 percent of Independents consider the indictment to be a political exercise.
These poll results also bear negative implications for President Biden, as 65 percent of respondents believe he mishandled classified material. This sentiment aligns with the prevailing view regarding Hillary Clinton’s email scandal, with 72 percent expressing a similar opinion. Consequently, the Justice Department and the media find themselves at odds with the American people, with their messaging primarily resonating among Democrats who, by a large margin of 80 percent, support the indictment.
The FBI and the Justice Department have exacerbated this perception problem through continual leaks to the media and allegations of staging photographs after the raid on Mar-a-Lago. Merrick Garland’s tenure as Attorney General has failed to restore credibility and trust in the Justice Department, leaving it in a worse state than during his predecessor Bill Barr’s time in office. Moreover, the media’s credibility also faces indictment due to years of biased reporting and advocacy journalism, leading many members of the public to disregard their coverage.
These developments raise the possibility that this case may never reach a jury, unless Special Counsel Jack Smith successfully pushes for a speedy trial before the election. With a majority of the public now favoring a pardon for Trump in the event of a conviction, pressure will mount on other Republican candidates to pledge their support for a pardon. It has even been suggested that President Biden should consider pledging to commute any potential sentence as a means to defuse this escalating election issue.
In an ironic twist, the Biden administration inadvertently granted Trump, their primary opponent leading into the 2024 election, what he desired most: extensive media exposure and the continued portrayal as a martyr for his cause. Simultaneously, President Biden and his Justice Department have further tarnished the public’s view of the DOJ and amplified concerns surrounding Biden’s handling of documents. As the public observes the potential severity of Trump’s punishment, they are left questioning the existence and treatment of documents in Biden’s post-VP office and Delaware garage, as attempts are made to downplay their significance.
