By Mary Lou Masters
Daily Caller News Foundation

A majority of Americans aren’t confident that the jury in former President Donald Trump’s Manhattan criminal trial can reach a fair verdict, a poll released Thursday evening found.

Only 44% of respondents said they were confident in the jurors’ ability to deliver a fair verdict compared to 56% who said they weren’t, according to a CNN/SSRS survey. The poll also found that only 33% of Americans think Trump acted illegally in the case where he faces 34 counts regarding alleged falsified business records in connection to reimbursing a hush money payment to former porn star actress Stormy Daniels.

The survey also found that respondents were split 34% to 34% on whether they believe Trump is being treated more leniently or more harshly by the criminal justice system in New York, and only 13% think he’s being treated “about the same as most other criminal defendants.”

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An overwhelming majority of Americans at 73% don’t believe the charges should disqualify Trump from the White House, while 76% of registered voters who support the former president say they’ll back him regardless of whether he’s convicted of a crime or not, according to the poll.

Another recent poll, conducted by AP/NORC, yielded similar results as the trial began in Manhattan, with most Americans not thinking Trump acted illegally in regard to the case. Only 31% of respondents said they were “extremely” or “very confident” that the prosecution in New York is treating the former president fairly.

Trump is wrapping up his second week of the trial following jury selection and opening statements. Judge Juan Merchan is considering whether to hold Trump in contempt for 14 alleged violations of a gag order.

The CNN/SSRS poll surveyed 1,212 American adults nationwide between April 18 and April 23 with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.4%.

Trump’s campaign did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.

This story originally was published by the Daily Caller News Foundation.

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