Most respondents reported being aware of the search, with only about a quarter saying they had heard little or nothing about it.
A majority of poll respondents — 54 percent — said the search was conducted because of mishandling of classified information. Nearly a third said they believed the search was related to the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol, a connection that has not been confirmed by the Justice Department or reported by media outlets.
Results varied widely by party: 69 percent of respondents who identified as Republicans thought the search was politically motivated, compared with 11 percent of Democrats. On the other side, 81 percent of those polled who identified themselves as Democrats saw the search as related to evidence of a crime, compared with 16 percent of Republicans. Independents were also more likely — by an 11-point margin — to say the search was due evidence Trump committed a crime than due to outside political motivation.
Respondents were split on whether the search was an abuse of power: 40 percent said the search was an abuse that should be investigated, but a similar proportion said it wasn’t an abuse of power at all.
But despite the search, Trump still led President Joe Biden among respondents on the question of whether each man should run for president in 2024: 39 percent said Trump should run again while just 28 percent said Biden should seek reelection.
The POLITICO/Morning Consult poll was conducted from Aug. 10-12, surveying 2004 registered voters. The poll’s margin of error was plusor minus 2 points.