CNN legal analyst Ellie Honig said during a media appearance on Tuesday that a recent poll on whether Americans believe Donald Trump has committed “illegal” actions in his efforts to remain in office suggests that prosecutors It warned that it was supposed to give a “warning.”
On “CNN This Morning,” host Poppy Harlow spoke to Honig about a poll that found 45% of Americans believed Trump did something illegal to remain president in 2020. Asked. She added that 32% said Trump acted unethically but not illegally, while 23% believed. he did nothing wrong.
“Why does that give you pause?” Harlow asked.
“From a prosecutor’s point of view, that’s scary, because when you look at numbers like 45% of people think one of the major political parties has done something politically illegal, the average person would… Wow, you’d think that’s a lot. Prosecutor, I’m like, ‘I think we need a unanimous 12-person jury beyond a reasonable doubt.’ I mean, just do the math. “He’s about a 50/50 split on how many people think he did something illegal, and if you need all 12 people,” Honig said.
CNN legal analyst Ellie Honig said a new poll on whether Donald Trump did anything illegal on January 6 should “sound alarm bells” to people. (Screenshot/CNN)
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“Having said that, juries in Manhattan and Washington, D.C. are tilted anti-Trump. So Trump got 5% of the vote in Washington, D.C., and 12% of the vote in Manhattan, so in the same sample “Maybe not. But that number would surprise me as a prosecutor,” he added.
Earlier in the segment, Honig predicted that Fani Willis’ case against Trump would not be heard before the 2024 election because of a scandal related to her personal relationship with one of his prosecutors. He said the Manhattan lawsuit against Trump is likely to be won before the election, but a federal case led by special counsel Jack Smith regarding Trump’s actions on January 6 will reach trial before the election. He added that the chances are 50-50.
The same CNN poll found that 48% of Americans believe it is essential that the Jack Smith election interference investigation be decided before the 2024 election. 16% said they wanted a ruling before the election.
“The federal election destruction scandal, the Jack Smith D.C. incident, probably has the power to sway some votes, but other polls show it could swing by 6%, 7%, 8%. “But I wonder what the percentage will be then.” “It’s about the Manhattan DA’s hush money case. As the calendar is currently highlighting, the Jack Smith case has been postponed and “The schedule for the 4th is gone. It’s kind of put on hold indefinitely,” Honig said.
He suggested pollsters be asked about the hush-money lawsuit against Trump and whether it would affect how they vote.
Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally at SNHU Arena on January 20, 2024 in Manchester, New Hampshire. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
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Trump pleaded not guilty in April 2023 after being indicted on 34 felony counts of first-degree falsification of business records.
The charges relate to hush-money payments made during the 2016 presidential campaign and emerged from a years-long investigation by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
Bragg alleged that Trump “repeatedly fraudulently falsified New York business records to cover up his criminal conduct in concealing information harmful to voters during the 2016 presidential election.”
Former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally in Hialeah, Florida, Wednesday, November 8, 2023. (AP Photo/Lynn Sladke))
Trump’s trial begins Special Counsel Jack Smith’s 2020 election interference investigation has been postponed indefinitely.
Federal Judge Tanya Chutkan in Washington, D.C., formally canceled the March 4 trial date Friday and said the court would “set a new date if the power of attorney is returned.”
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A federal appeals court on Tuesday rejected Mr. Trump’s claim for immunity from prosecution for his actions while in office.
President Trump has up to 90 days to appeal the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court.
FOX News’ Brooke Singman, Jake Gibson, Bill Mears and Lawrence Richard contributed to this report.
