LIU Hornstein Center Poll Shows Americans Unenthusiastic About Possible Oprah Run for the White House

National Poll on Trending News Shows Americans Believe Trump Should Cooperate with Mueller

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Jan 12, 2018, 06:40 ET

BROOKVILLE, N.Y., Jan. 12, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A new Long Island University Hornstein Center for Policy, Polling and Analysis poll of hot news items found that most Americans disapprove of a Presidential run by Oprah Winfrey. LIU polled a number of Americans about trending news items to ascertain how they felt about current political developments.

Of 1030 Americans polled, 51 percent stated that they did not think Oprah Winfrey should run for President in 2020. Twenty percent said that she should run and stated that they would vote for her, while eight percent said that although she should run, Winfrey would not win their vote. Twenty-one percent said they had no opinion.

"Americans continue to be invested in current political news developments, but sometimes the pundits get ahead of the American people," said Dr. Edward Summers, Fellow at the Hornstein Center. "While many pundits are enthusiastically speculating about a possible Presidential run by Oprah Winfrey after her powerful speech at the Golden Globe Awards, the majority of Americans have a long way to go to embrace such a run."

A vast majority of Americans polled believe that President Trump should submit to questioning by Special Counsel Robert Mueller. Fifty-five percent believe that President Trump should meet with Mueller in person, while an almost equal number of Americans (12 percent each) stated that the President should either respond in writing to Mueller's submitted questions or invoke his executive privilege.

Despite the prominent discussion about former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon's future, 40 percent of Americans had no opinion whether his departure from Breitbart News would end his influence in national politics. Of the remainder, 40 percent of Americans believe they have not seen the last of Bannon's influence in national politics, while 20 percent believe they have.

A plurality (43 percent) of Americans polled believed that Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) was justified in releasing the full, un-edited version of Fusion GPS co-founder Glenn Simpson's testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, while only 14 percent stated they did not support her decision.

Dr. Summers, who obtained his Ph.D. in Public Policy, is a Fellow at the Hornstein Center. His career includes experience in public policy, higher education, and opinion research.

Q1. Should President Trump submit to questioning by the special counsel Robert Mueller?
Answer Choices	Responses
Yes, he should meet with Special Counsel Mueller in person;	54.66%	563
Yes, he should respond in writing to Special Counsel Mueller's submitted questions;	12.04%	124
No, he should invoke executive privilege;	11.55%	119
No Opinion;	21.75%	224
	Answered	1030
	Skipped	0

Q2. Should Oprah Winfrey run for election to the presidency in 2020?
Answer Choices	Responses
Yes, and I would vote for her;	20.49%	211
Yes, but I would not vote for her;	7.57%	78
No;	50.78%	523
No Opinion;	21.17%	218
	Answered	1030
	Skipped	0

Q3. Does stepping down from his role as Executive Chairman of Breitbart News Network signal the end of Stephen K. Bannon's influence in national politics?
Answer Choices	Responses
Yes;	20.49%	211
No;	39.90%	411
No Opinion;	39.61%	408
	Answered	1030
	Skipped	0

Q4. Was CA Sen. Dianne Feinstein's decision to release the full, un-edited version of Glenn Simpson's testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee correct?
Answer Choices	Responses
Yes;	43.01%	443
No;	14.08%	145
No Opinion;	42.91%	442
	Answered	1030
	Skipped	0

Q5. Age
Answer Choices	Responses
smc_age	0.00%	0
< 18	0.00%	0
18-29	19.44%	200
30-44	26.43%	272
45-60	26.92%	277
> 60	27.21%	280
	Answered	1029
	Skipped	1

Q6. Gender
Answer Choices	Responses
gender	0.00%	0
Male	46.94%	483
Female	53.06%	546
	Answered	1029
	Skipped	1

Q7. Household Income
Answer Choices	Responses
household_income	0.00%	0
$0-$9,999	7.48%	77
$10,000-$24,999	10.59%	109
$25,000-$49,999	17.20%	177
$50,000-$74,999	17.78%	183
$75,000-$99,999	10.11%	104
$100,000-$124,999	8.55%	88
$125,000-$149,999	4.66%	48
$150,000-$174,999	3.30%	34
$175,000-$199,999	1.75%	18
$200,000+	4.86%	50
Prefer not to answer	13.70%	141
	Answered	1029
	Skipped	1


Q8. Region
Answer Choices	Responses
zip_home_region_9	0.00%	0
New England	3.74%	38
Middle Atlantic	12.11%	123
East North Central	13.88%	141
West North Central	6.30%	64
South Atlantic	14.76%	150
East South Central	4.43%	45
West South Central	9.45%	96
Mountain	12.99%	132
Pacific	22.34%	227
	Answered	1016
	Skipped	14

Q9. Device Type
Answer Choices	Responses
device_categories	0.00%	0
iOS Phone / Tablet	25.27%	260
Android Phone / Tablet	24.10%	248
Other Phone / Tablet	0.00%	0
Windows Desktop / Laptop	41.59%	428
MacOS Desktop / Laptop	8.07%	83
Other	0.97%	10
	Answered	1029
	Skipped	1

Polling Methodology
This Long Island University Steven S. Hornstein Center for Policy, Polling & Analysis poll was conducted through Suveymonkey January 9-11, 2018 in English to 1030 American residents over the age of 18. Polling data was sorted by age, gender & geographic location in efforts to ensure a nationwide representative sample. This poll has an overall margin of error of +/- 3 points.

The Steven S. Hornstein Center for Policy, Polling, and Analysis at LIU Post conducts independent, fair, and balanced polling, empirical research, and analysis on a wide range of public issues including lifestyle preferences. The Center's goals include informing the community, public and policy makers about critical issues.

SOURCE Long Island University