A lot has changed since last year when Donald Trump was accused by several women of sexual misconduct—and a lot of powerful men have been deposed as a result of women’s reinvigorated strength to come forth with their stories since then. Is it time for the president to be re-evaluated in the more transparent environment of 2017?
A new independent national survey—developed by a team of researchers led by Murat Haner of the University of South Florida-Sarasota Manatee, and Teresa C. Kulig and Francis T. Cullen of the University of Cincinnati, and conducted by YouGov America in late October—attempted to understand how people felt about the allegations of sexual misconduct lodged against then-presidential candidate Trump. In light of those recent reports, the findings from the 1,000 respondents add further substance to this important social issue.
Who is telling the truth—President Trump or his accusers?
Nearly 3 in 5 Americans (58.1 percent) believe that “the women are telling the truth when they reported that Trump sexually harassed or assaulted them.” Nearly 7 in 10 (69.7 percent) stated that it was unlikely or highly unlikely that all the women were lying.
Why did the women wait so long to report these incidents?
Two thirds of Americans (67.9 percent) believe that the women did not report the incidents because “they are afraid” of “powerful men, like Mr. Trump,” and believe that “nothing will be done.”
Were President Trump’s comments to Billy Bush recorded on the Access Hollywood tape only locker-room talk or an admission of guilt?
More than 6 in 10 Americans (62.4 percent) believe that, “Mr. Trump was admitting that he sexually assaulted women,” just as the women who accused him of doing.
What should happen if the accusations of the sexual misconduct of President Trump against the women could be proven?
Nearly two thirds of Americans (65.5 percent) believe that if the accusations can be proven, President Trump should be impeached by the U.S. Congress.
See complete survey results here.
The survey was conducted by YouGov America between October 17-24, 2017 and polled a national probability sample of 1,000 Americans.
