By Abdulkareem Haruna

A majority of Americans want former President Donald Trump to face trial in his federal classified documents and election interference cases before the 2024 election, according to a new poll from Politico and Ipsos.

The poll was conducted shortly after Trump surrendered to face election interference charges in Georgia. It found that 50% of Americans want Trump to serve jail time if convicted in his federal election interference case. An additional 28% favor a fine or probation, while only 18% expressed no desire for penalties.

The poll also revealed that about half of the respondents believe Trump is guilty in both the election interference case and a separate case concerning the alleged mishandling of classified materials.

Despite the legal challenges, Trump remains the frontrunner in the 2024 Republican presidential primary race. Interestingly, 71% of Republicans polled said a conviction would not impact their support for Trump, and some even suggested it could increase their likelihood of supporting him. Only 17% said they would be less likely to support him.

Trump, who is facing four criminal indictments, has pledged to continue campaigning while awaiting trial.

Prosecutors in Trump’s federal election interference case are advocating for a trial to begin in January. Trump’s legal team, however, has requested a delay until 2026. The former president is also scheduled to face a trial on hush money charges in New York in March and another trial in May over his alleged mishandling of classified documents. The date for his trial in Georgia remains uncertain, with proposed dates ranging from the end of this year to January.

Source: Politico/Ipsos poll, August 2023