Less than one-third of voters have favorable view of Justice Department, poll

Feelings of a 'two-tiered' system of justice reflect heavily throughout polling data.

Published: July 30, 2023 12:23am

Thirty-two percent of registered voters have a "favorable" view of the Justice Department, according to a recent Harvard CAPS-Harris poll.

The poll was conducted July 19-20 among 2,068 registered voters and also found just 15 percent of respondents have a “very favorable” view of the agency. A collective 35 percent had either an "unfavorable" or "very unfavorable" view.

The numbers were similar for the FBI – 35 percent responding "favorable" and 16 percent "unfavorable."

A Gallup survey released earlier this month found 31 percent of respondents in 2022 expressed confidence in the U.S. government, compared to 46 percent in 2020.

The Harvard CAPS-Harris poll follows a federal indictment against former President Trump for alleged retention of classified documents from his time in the White House. Trump faces 40 indictments and has pleaded not guilty.

“Our country is suffering from DOJ abuse,” he told Fox News Digital after two additional related charges against him were filed last week by Special Counsel Jack Smith. "This is prosecutorial misconduct used at a level never seen before."

The poll also found a combined 57% of respondents thought Trump, who is seeking 2024 reelection, is “probably innocent” or “may be guilty” but still should not have been indicted due to the political implications.

“The Department of Justice is independent; the president respects the rule of law,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre recently said, months after Biden was found in possession of documents from when he was vice president and amid accusations the Justice Department has as "two-tiered" justice system.

Also last week, the Justice Department dropped a campaign finance charge against disgraced crypto tycoon and Democratic mega donor Sam Bankman-Fried. 

In recent weeks, two whistleblowers have alleged the Justice Department interfered with the investigation into first son Hunter Biden's gun and tax violations. 

In May, former special counsel John Durham issued a report accusing the FBI of acting negligently in opening the Trump-Russia investigation based on insufficient information.

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