Quinnipiac poll: Trump holds slight lead over DeSantis; Americans mixed on classified documents

HAMDEN, CT (WFSB) - Quinnipiac University on Thursday released the results of a national poll that asked about the 2024 presidential election and an array of other topics.

In the poll, former President Donald Trump held a slight lead over Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis among Republican and Republican-leaning voters.

Trump garnered 42 percent of the response compared to DeSantis’s 36 percent.

“They are either officially in the hunt or their names are in the GOP conversation, but the early horse race comes down to just two names,” said Tim Malloy, Quinnipiac polling analyst.

Former United Nations Ambassador and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley received 5 percent and former Vice President Mike Pence received 4 percent.

In a hypothetical general election matchup for president, it is a toss-up between President Joe Biden at 48 percent and Trump at 46 percent among all registered voters.

It is also a toss-up between Biden and DeSantis with 47 percent of registered voters supporting DeSantis and 46 percent supporting Biden.

When Americans were asked how closely they have been following news about classified documents from Biden’s days as vice president that were found at his home and office and classified documents that were found at the homes of Trump and Pence from their days in the White House, 30 percent said very closely, 38 percent said somewhat closely, and 32 percent said not too closely.

Sixty-nine percent of Americans think Trump intentionally held on to classified documents, while 18 percent thought he mistakenly had classified documents in his possession and 13 percent did not offer an opinion.

Forty-eight percent of Americans believed Biden intentionally held on to classified documents, while 39 percent thought he mistakenly had classified documents in his possession and 13 percent did not offer an opinion.

Thirty-seven percent of Americans thought Pence intentionally held on to classified documents, while 47 percent thought he mistakenly had classified documents in his possession and 16 percent did not offer an opinion.

“Were the top-secret papers taken by design or by mistake? A large majority of Americans figure former President Trump made a conscious decision to take them home, while his V.P., and to some extent his successor, are more apt to be given the benefit of the doubt,” Malloy said.

More than 6 out of 10 Americans, 62 percent, trusted the police to do what is right either almost all of the time, 22 percent, or most of the time, 40 percent, while 36 percent trusted the police to do what is right either only some of the time, 26 percent, or hardly ever, 10 percent.

“Though a majority of Americans in varying degrees trust the police, there is very strong support for accountability and the right to sue them if they cross the line on the job,” Malloy said.

Americans were divided on a nationwide ban on the sale of assault weapons. Forty-seven percent supported a ban, while 48 percent opposed it. That compared to a Quinnipiac University poll in July 2022 when 49 percent supported a ban and 45 percent opposed it.

For the complete results, check out Quinnipiac’s poll website here.

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