OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Rep. Lauren Boebert ripped a CNN survey on Monday that claims a majority of Americans support Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s indictment of former President Donald Trump.
The poll asked, “Do you (approve) or (disapprove) of the decision to indict Trump?”
Out of the respondents, 60 percent expressed approval, while 40 percent expressed disapproval. When categorized by degree, 37 percent said they strongly approved and 23 percent somewhat approved, according to the news outlet. Only 25 percent strongly disapproved, and 14 percent somewhat disapproved, CNN reported.
In its summary of the survey, CNN said that while most support the indictment, they also see it as politically induced.
“About three-quarters of Americans say politics played at least some role in the decision to indict Trump, including 52% who said it played a major role,” CNN noted, adding further:
Independents largely line up in support of the indictment – 62% approve of it and 38% disapprove. Democrats are near universal in their support for the indictment (94% approve, including 71% who strongly approve of the indictment), with Republicans less unified in opposition (79% disapprove, with 54% strongly disapproving).
Boebert took to Twitter to criticize CNN’s poll and suggest that the results favoring Trump’s indictment were not accurate.
“CNN’s poll claiming 60% of Americans approve of Trump’s indictment is as fake as Biden’s White House play set,” she tweeted.
CNN’s poll claiming 60% of Americans approve of Trump’s indictment is as fake as Biden’s White House play set.
— Rep. Lauren Boebert (@RepBoebert) April 3, 2023
Trump was indicted last week by Bragg on charges that he initially refused to pursue. In addition, federal prosecutors for the Southern District of New York and the Federal Election Commission similarly could not find sufficient evidence to charge Trump with campaign finance violations for making hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels and Playboy model Karen McDougal in the mid-2000s.
The former president is scheduled to be arraigned in a Manhattan courtroom on Tuesday.
Judge Juan Merchan, who is overseeing the case, ruled late on Monday night that he will allow five pool photographers to snap for several minutes before the arraignment formally starts on Tuesday around 2:15 p.m. Eastern Time. However, the judge declared that no cameras will be allowed in the courtroom.
“That this indictment involves a matter of monumental significance cannot possibly be disputed. Never in the history of the United States has a sitting or past President been indicted on criminal charges,” Merchan said.
The judge said he “needed to balance other interests” and that no electronic devices will be allowed in either the main or overflow courtrooms.
Several Republicans have come out in support of Trump.
Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz responded: “The Democrat Party’s hatred for Donald Trump knows no bounds. The ‘substance’ of this political persecution is utter garbage. This is completely unprecedented and is a catastrophic escalation in the weaponization of the justice system.”
Missouri GOP Sen. Josh Hawley said: “Tonight’s indictment of Donald Trump isn’t about the law. It’s about power. Raw power. It’s the Democrat Party telling the nation they will stop at nothing to control the outcome of the next presidential election. It is an assault on our democracy, pure and simple.”
Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina governor and 2024 GOP presidential candidate, tweeted: “From everything I have seen from this New York district attorney is that this would be something he’d be doing for political points. I think what we know is, when you get into political prosecutions like this, it’s more about revenge than it is about justice.”
Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis said last week after the indictment was announced that the state would not cooperate with any request to extradite Trump.
“The weaponization of the legal system to advance a political agenda turns the rule of law on its head. It is un-American. The Manhattan District Attorney has consistently bent the law to downgrade felonies and to excuse criminal misconduct. Yet, now he is stretching the law to target a political opponent. Florida will not assist in an extradition request given the questionable circumstances at issue with this Soros-backed Manhattan prosecutor and his political agenda,” he said.
