America’s response to this week’s indictment of Donald Trump is providing a window into more than just how Americans view his alleged actions per se — but also into what they think it means for democracy itself.
Half the nation believes Trump tried to stay in office beyond his term through illegal and unconstitutional means. To most Americans, such an effort would mean undermining democracy. For them and for a majority of Americans overall, the series of indictments and ongoing investigations against Trump are seen as “defending democracy” and “upholding the rule of law.” …
For most Republicans, the series of indictments are also personal, seeing them as “an attack” on people like them — echoing some of Trump’s rhetoric on the campaign trail. And big majorities of Republicans think the indictments are an attempt to stop Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign. CONTINUED
CBS News
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