45 pct of U.S. Republicans not to back Trump in 2024 over felony conviction: poll

Former U.S. President Donald Trump's legal problems could bring serious risks to his candidacy ahead of the 2024 election, USA Today on Friday cited a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll.

The poll found 45 percent of Republican respondents said they would not support Trump if he were convicted of a felony while 52 percent of those same respondents said they would not support Trump if he were currently serving time in prison.

The former president faced his third arraignment on Thursday afternoon -- this time in a Washington, D.C. courthouse after being indicted on four charges alleging he attempted to overturn the 2020 presidential election. Trump pleaded not guilty to the charges which alleged he organized a wide-ranging conspiracy to steal the 2020 election and fueled a historic insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

He faces two other indictments -- one a state case in New York involving hush money payments to an adult film star and the other a federal case in Florida alleging obstruction of justice and improper retention of classified documents.

The Reuters/Ipsos poll also found Republicans are less likely than Democrats or Americans overall to believe the charges in the third indictment, specifically that Trump solicited election fraud, incited a mob on Jan. 6, 2021, at the Capitol or was involved in a scheme with fake electors.

"Nearly half of Americans say the charges against him are politically motivated, according to the poll, and a majority of Republicans, 56 percent, strongly agree that they are," noted the report.