Americans are more willing to accept facts presented by special counsel Robert Mueller than by President Donald Trump.
According to a Washington Post/Schar School poll released Tuesday, 56% of respondents trust Mueller, compared to 33% who have more confidence in Trump. The respondents’ trust in Mueller extended beyond his credibility—57% also said they believe that his intention is to find the truth in the course of his investigation. Meanwhile, 36% said they believe he is trying to hurt Trump politically.
And respondents generally approve of Mueller’s handling of the investigation with 51% giving him positive marks. Just 34% disapprove and 15% have no opinion. On the other hand, they gave negative marks to Trump—52% disapprove versus 35% approve.
Over the course of his investigation, Mueller has charged 34 people, including individuals from Trump’s inner circle and has found evidence that 25 Russians sought to influence the 2016 presidential election. Despite his findings thus far, those surveyed were split as to whether Mueller had proved coordination between Trump’s team and Russia. Nevertheless, 81% said they believed Mueller’s report should be made public. And more than six in 10 believe that should the report conclude that Trump obstructed justice or authorized coordination with the Russians, Congress should begin impeachment proceedings.
Respondents were selected randomly and were split among Democrats, Republicans, and independents.