A plurality of Republicans think President Donald Trump should have the power to close down media outlets, according to The Daily Beast, citing an Ipsos poll.
The results, according to Ipsos:
- 43 percent of Republicans believe the president should have the authority to close news outlets engaged in bad behavior.
- 36 percent of Republicans disagreed with the statement.
- 48 percent of Republicans said the media is the enemy of the people.
- 28 percent of Republicans disagreed with the statement.
- 79 percent of Republicans think the media treats Trump unfairly.
Further, 23 percent of Republicans think Trump should shut down CNN, The New York Times and The Washington Post, while 49 percent disagreed, according to The Daily Beast.
More results, according to poll:
- 21 percent of Independents think Trump should have power to shutter media outlets.
- 12 percent of Democrats also think the president should have that power.
- 26 percent of Independents think the media is the enemy of the people.
- 12 percent of Democrats think the media is the enemy of the people.
Portraying the media as the "enemy of the people" has been a popular refrain for Trump, one he rolled out again recently:
The Ipsos poll was conducted Aug. 3-6 from a sample of roughly 1,003 adults age 18+ from the continental U.S., Alaska, and Hawaii. The sample includes 323 Democrats, 363 Republicans, and 207 Independents. The margin of error is +/- 3.5 points.