- A new survey shows that 58% of Americans think that Donald Trump should be charged with a crime related to his role in the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot
- Forty percent do not think the former president should be charged with a crime
- The polled showed a 6% increase in those who want a criminal referral for Trump from the same survey conducted in April
- New survey comes after the televised January 6 select committee hearings kicked off earlier this month
- Rep. Jamie Raskin said Sunday that Trump would not act any differently if he could redo the event leading up to and on the day of January 6, 2021
A rising number of Americans think that
Donald Trump should be charged with a crime in relation to his actions leading up to, surrounding and following the
January 6, 2021
Capitol riot.
As the January 6 select committee continues its public televised proceedings, a new
ABC News/Ipsos poll released Sunday shows that 58 percent of Americans believe that he should be charged with a crime – this is up from April when 52 percent of respondents felt that way.
The poll taken June 17-18 shows that 40 percent don't think he should face formal charges and 2 percent of survey-takers did not respond.
In April when the same poll was conducted, 42 percent of respondents felt Trump should not be charged and 6 percent did not provide an answer.
The increase in those who want a criminal referral for the former president comes after three days of public hearings played on nearly every news airwave, which started in June and will continue through the month.
Nine panel members on the select committee – seven Democrats and two Republicans – have shared never-before-seen footage from the riot, as well as pre-recorded and live interviews with former White House officials, which presents the case that Trump knew he did not win the 2020 presidential election.
Six in 10 Americans think that the investigation is fair and impartial, while 38 percent say it is not – this is a big difference from the April polling when the public was split 40-40 percent on the matter.
Just two months ago, the survey showed that 20 percent of Americans had no opinion on the matter, but the public hearings must have changed that perception because now only 2 percent of respondents skipped that question.
Democratic panel member Jamie Raskin insisted on Sunday that Trump doesn't regret his actions and would 'do it again'.
The Maryland congressman told NBC's Meet the Press on Sunday morning is essentially 'confessing' to his role and crime through his continued denial that he lost the 2020 presidential election.
'Is he confessing?' NBC anchor Chuck Todd asked.
'Yea,' Raskin replied. 'He's essentially saying, 'Yeah I did it and I'll do it again,' which is what we've been contending all along.'
'If you vow impunity for attempts at unconstitutional seizures of power, which is what a coup is, then you're inviting it again in the future,' the Maryland Democratic congressman continued. 'And to be a strong self-sustaining self-respecting democracy, we can't allow people to decide they are above the law and that they are more important than our constitutional processes.'
The comments come the same morning that Trump posted to his Truth Social account blasting the committee and its public televised hearings – insisting that he has evidence that he won the 2020 presidential election and saying 'in my mind' there was no doubt that he was the victor.
'The highly partisan Unselects are trying to create a FAKE narrative, for whatever reason but only with evil intention, that 'He (me) knew he lost the Election.' This is completely false,' Trump posted to his account on Sunday.
'I felt the Election was RIGGED & STOLLEN, have from the very beginning, & have only gotten stronger in that belief with time & large amounts of additional evidence and proof. In my mind I have, & HAVE HAD, NO QUESTION, and MANY people would be willing to so attest, but the Unselects don't want to hear them……' he added.
The committee is holding its fourth of eight hearings on Tuesday and a fifth on Thursday as the seven Democrats and two Republicans scramble to finish the proceedings before the 2022 midterms, which are likely to turn the House red.
'I have sooo many witnesses to everything good, but the highly partisan and one sided Unselect Committee of political hacks has not interest in hearing or seeing them,' the former president wrote in a separate post.
'This Witch Hunt could all be ended quickly if they did!'
The third select committee hearing Thursday focused on the pressure campaign by Trump to get Vice President Mike Pence to stop Congress from certifying the Electoral College results.
The second was aimed at showing Trump was fully aware that he really lost the election but continued to push the 'Big Lie' that there was widespread fraud and election rigging that resulted in Joe Biden's victory.
Trump insists to this day that he is the real winner.
