A new poll shows most Americans disapprove of the FBI’s recommendation to not indict Hillary Clinton.The ABC/Washington Post poll took place a day after FBI Director James Comey announced the bureau’s controversial decision regarding Clinton’s misuse of a private email server. Participants were asked “Do you approve or disapprove of Comey’s recommendation that Clinton should NOT be charged with a crime?” 56% responded that they disapproved.
Strong division by party lines
Unsurprisingly, there was a strong division by party lines, with 90% of Republicans disapproving of the decision and only 30% of Democrats.
However, approximately 60% of independents also disapproved, suggesting criticism of Clinton on this issue is not solely partisan.
Despite that, most Americans do not believe the outcome will affect their voting decisions come November, with 58% saying their vote will stay the same. This figure potentially underrepresents the actual number, as a large majority of those who do think it will impact their decisions are Republicans, who were unlikely to vote for Clinton in the first place.
Future impact?
The decision further erodes American’s trust in their judicial and legal system. Many Americans view this case as an example of one set of laws for the common man, and another set of laws for the wealthy and powerful.
The fact that Comey spent the majority of his announcement criticizing Clinton’s mishandling of classified information, only to come to the opposite conclusion, simply adds to the skepticism.
Republicans are also unlikely to let go of the issue anytime soon. At the Congressional hearing late last week, for example, Republicans brought Comey in to testify and used the opportunity to berate Clinton for her reckless actions.
In response to Congressman Trey Gowdy (R-SC), Comey revealed that a number of Clinton’s prior statements to Congress were false. This instigated many members to suggest a perjury probe to see if she deliberately lied.
Furthermore, many are pushing for Clinton’s top aides to lose security clearances, in an act that will certainly hurt the former secretary of state politically as well. If Republicans use these events as a key marketing issue, it’s possible the 56% number cited earlier could grow and impact the election more going forward.
