Key takeaways
- Compared to 2019, Republican views of the FBI and DOJ have declined notably.
- More than half of Americans support the FBI serving a search warrant on Trump’s home at Mar-a-Lago.
- Messaging from supporters of the FBI serving a search warrant on Trump’s home is more convincing than messages from opponents – especially an opponent message on defunding the FBI.
Republican Views of the FBI and DOJ Have Moved Deeply Underwater While Democrats View Each Positively
Views of the FBI have soured among independents (net +10 favorable now, compared to +39 in April 2019) and Republicans (net -31, down from +6); views of the DOJ have improved among Democrats and independents, but have gotten worse among Republicans.
A Majority of Americans Support the FBI Serving a Search Warrant on Trump’s Home at Mar-a-Lago
Independents support the search by a 15-point margin, the same as Americans overall.
Majorities of Americans Are Hearing About the FBI Searching Mar-a-Lago and the Inflation Reduction Act’s Passage
Though news consumption was more intense this week around the FBI serving a search warrant on former President Trump’s home at Mar-a-Lago (73% “a lot”/”some”), it only slightly outpaces awareness of the Inflation Reduction Act’s passage (63% “a lot”/”some”).
Nearly Nine in Ten Democrats and a Majority of Independents Believe Trump Committed a Crime as President
Democrats (88%), Black Americans (79%) and Hispanic Americans (70%) are most likely to believe Trump committed a crime.
