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

By Jack Phillips
Jack Phillips
Jack Phillips
Breaking News Reporter
Jack Phillips is a breaking news reporter who covers a range of topics, including politics, U.S., and health news. A father of two, Jack grew up in California's Central Valley. Follow him on X: https://twitter.com/jackphillips5
December 20, 2016Updated: December 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.

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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.

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