“He needs to be in prison”—say 70% of those polled in Valley sampling

Northeast Valley News asked Arizonans, “Should Donald Trump be convicted and sentenced to prison?” the majority responded “yes”—“not above the law”

Donald+Trump+caricature+by+DonkeyHote

Donald Trump caricature by DonkeyHote

Quentin LaVar, Reporter

The results of a sampling of 40 Arizonans polled in downtown Phoenix Patriots Square Park from June 25-July 4—showed 70% responded, “yes” when asked, “Should Donald Trump be convicted and sentenced to prison?”

Only a few people claimed, as Donald Trump himself has asserted, that he is the victim of a “witch hunt.”

A public data research site, YouGov, polled Americans in March and shortly after Trump was indicted, 41% of Americans now believe Trump will face a conviction up from 33% before the indictment.

Even the percentage among Republicans who believe Trump will face a conviction was up 10 points.

Trump is the first U.S. ex-president to face charges in federal court and accused of willfully retaining classified documents with many reportedly containing sensitive intelligence after leaving office and obstructing an investigation into their whereabouts. Trump allegedly exhibited and “bragged” about some of the classified documents to others—revealed via a recent released audio recording.

Half of Americans polled, think Trump should have been charged and the recent polling number reflects that those who believe Trump committed a crime is growing. An ABC News/Ipsos poll published in June also finds that a solid majority of over three in five Americans find the charges against Trump either very serious or somewhat serious.

The Northeast Valley News sampling provided a similar reflection with 70% polled in the sampling believing that Donald Trump has committed a crime and should be convicted.

“No one is above the law,” said Amir Patel a Valley businessman who moved to Phoenix from Denver in 2007. “I do believe that Donald Trump has knowingly broken many laws.”

While there were a handful of people who still support Trump and claim as Donald Trump has, that the indictment is “political”…several admitted that he may indeed be convicted.

An attorney who works near downtown Phoenix but did not want to be identified, told Northeast Valley News in the sampling poll, “He needs to be convicted, he needs to be in prison, I don’t believe that I have ever witnessed such corruption and evidence against an elected official— in office or out—the man is unhinged.”