http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/poll-nearly-6-in-10-americans-oppose-trump-muslim-ban/article/2578108Poll: Nearly 6 in 10 Americans oppose Trump Muslim banBy GABBY MORRONGIELLO (@GABRIELLAHOPE_)
• 12/10/15 5:00 PM
A majority of Americans do not favor Donald Trump's proposal to temporarily bar Muslims from entering the U.S., according to a new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.
Fifty-seven percent of American adults oppose the GOP front-runner's latest proposal, which has attracted international controversy and condemnation, according to the survey released Thursday. Meanwhile, Republican voters were split, as 38 percent back the plan versus 39 percent who don't.
Overall, 25 percent of Americans agree that Muslim individuals seeking to emigrate to or visit the U.S. should be barred from doing so until the government fixes its current vetting process. To the contrary, a survey of U.S. voters released earlier Thursday by the right-leaning Rasmussen Reports found that more Americans (46 percent) support Trump's proposal than oppose it (40 percent).
An overwhelming majority, 75 percent, of self-identified Democrats in the NBC News/WSJ poll disagreed with the billionaire's proposal, while 55 percent of independents shared in disapproving it.
Just over 40 percent of respondents also said statements made by Trump on the stump are "frequently insulting and have the wrong approach." Nearly one-quarter said Trump's demeanor "might be problematic" despite his ability to elevate important issues, and 22 percent said the outspoken businessman simply "tells it like it is and has the right approach."
The poll also found that nearly twice as many Americans view Muslims more favorably than unfavorably, indicating, perhaps, why Trump's proposal has attracted such tremendous backlash. Fifty-nine percent of respondents said they hold positive views of Muslims while 29 percent claim to hold a negative opinion.
The survey of 1,000 U.S. adults, including 495 who were asked to specifically respond to Trump's proposal, was conducted between Dec. 6-9. Questions related to the Muslim ban contain a 4.4 percent margin of error while overall results have a margin of error plus or minus 3.1 percent.
Trump is currently second in the Washington Examiner's presidential power rankings.