Americans are more likely than not to consider the sexual assault allegations against Donald Trump credible, according to a new HuffPost/YouGov poll. But opinions are deeply divided along party lines, with many Republicans saying that, even if true, the allegations aren’t enough to disqualify him from the presidency.
Americans say by a 17-point margin ― 43 percent to 26 percent ― that they consider the allegations of sexual assault and harassment levied against Trump to be generally credible, while another 31 percent haven’t heard enough or aren’t sure.
If the allegations are true, 44 percent of Americans say that should disqualify Trump from the presidency. Twenty-seven percent say that it would be relevant to the election, but not disqualifying, while 22 percent believe it wouldn’t be relevant to the election at all.
For some people, the allegations have personal implications as well as political ones. Twenty-eight percent of Americans say that they personally identify at least somewhat with the women who’ve made accusations against Trump. Among Americans who say that they’ve personally experienced a sexual assault, that number rises to 45 percent, with 31 percent saying that they feel “a lot” of kinship with the women in question.
The survey also found that most Americans ― 53 percent ― say that conversations about groping and kissing women without consent, which Trump was filmed bragging about, are not normal for men. Trump referred to his boasts after the tape emerged this month as “locker room banter.”
Just 26 percent think Trump respects women, while 59 percent say he does not. Yet, the latest news seems to have done little to shake the confidence of the minority who still believe that he does. Among registered voters, 31 percent say they believe Trump respects women, virtually unchanged by either the revelation of the 2005 tape or the accusations of sexual assault this month.
A main reason for that is partisanship. While some Republicans have deserted Trump in the wake of the most recent scandals, many are siding with him. Republicans are 34 points likelier than Democrats, 51 percent to 17 percent, to say that Trump’s comments were normal for men. They are 49 points likelier, 55 percent to 6 percent, to say that Trump respects women.
Those partisan divides ― which are far larger than the divides on other demographics, such as gender ― extend to the latest allegations. Seventy percent of Democrats, but just 12 percent of Republicans think the sexual assault allegations against Trump are credible.
MUCH MORE @ SOURCE
