Poll Finds Most Americans Don’t Think Russia Swayed 2016 Election

Poll Finds Most Americans Don’t Think Russia Swayed 2016 Election
U.S. President Barack Obama (R) and Russia's President President Vladimir Putin pose for members of the media before a bilateral meeting at the United Nations headquarters, in this file photo. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
Jack Phillips
12/20/2016
Updated:
12/20/2016

A new poll has found that about a third of American voters believe Russia influenced the 2016 election.

The poll, carried out by Politico/Morning Consult, was carried out last week, surveying 2,000 voters between Dec. 15 and Dec. 19—following bombshell claims made by unnamed CIA officials in media reports. They alleged that Russia-backed hackers targeted Democrats to sway the election in President-elect Donald Trump’s favor.

About 44 percent told pollsters they don’t believe Russia swayed the election, while about 25 percent said they’re unsure.

For his part, Trump has dismissed the allegations as “ridiculous,” while the Kremlin denied the claims. WikiLeaks operative Craig Murray, a former U.K. ambassador, meanwhile, said his sources were Democratic Party insiders who were dissatisfied with Hillary Clinton. Julian Assange also said that Russians were not the source of leaked emails the anti-secrecy organization published throughout the election.

A bipartisan coalition of U.S. senators called for an investigation into the hacking claims, while the White House called for an internal review.

The Politico survey found that more Americans trust the CIA and the FBI more than President-elect Trump or President Barack Obama.

“Sixty-five percent of respondents said they had a lot or some trust in the CIA’s capabilities, and two-thirds said they trust the FBI,” Politico wrote, adding that 55 percent said they have “a lot or some trust” in Obama on “foreign intelligence and events overseas,” while 51 percent trust Trump in the same way.

Only 22 percent of American voters told Politico “they had a very or somewhat favorable view” of Russia and 62 percent said they have a “somewhat or very unfavorable view” of its leader, Vladimir Putin.

Jack Phillips is a breaking news reporter with 15 years experience who started as a local New York City reporter. Having joined The Epoch Times' news team in 2009, Jack was born and raised near Modesto in California's Central Valley. Follow him on X: https://twitter.com/jackphillips5
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