More Americans than not doubt Bill's and Hillary's trustworthiness, and the Clinton Foundation has become another source of partisan division
The Clintons have had difficulties for a long time getting many Americans to believe them.Even as Bill Clinton was being reelected in 1996, 57% of all voters in the CBS News exit poll that day described Clinton as not honest and trustworthy. Although his wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, fared better while in office, now she too faces skepticism about her honesty.
The latest Economist/YouGov Poll demonstrates the problem. Both Bill and Hillary Clinton are thought of as not honest, though Hillary Clinton manages to score somewhat better (mostly because Democrats trust her more than they do the former President).
Yet Americans like Bill Clinton more than they like his wife.In recent months, opinions of Hillary Clinton have become much more polarized, and in recent Economist/YouGov polls there are as many or more in the public who are unfavorable towards her as are favorable. The Clinton Foundation’s acceptance of donations from foreign countries while she was Secretary of State has also raised questions, and may also have increased partisan polarization about her. Clinton’s favorable rating may be somewhat higher among Democrats than is the rating of the former President, but Bill Clinton is better liked than Hillary Clinton is by both Republicans and independents.
Clinton remains by far the most popular choice among Democrats when it comes to support for the Presidential nomination.
The Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation has accepted foreign donations, including some from foreign governments while Hillary Clinton was Secretary of State, and may have not adhered to its agreement with the U.S. government that there would be no new foreign donors during that period. The Clinton have insisted that all such funds went directly to fund humanitarian projects throughout the world.
Partisanship matters in how Americans evaluate the Foundation itself. Two-thirds of Democrats have a favorable opinion of the Foundation, a majority of Republicans are unfavorable.
There is significant skepticism that Hillary Clinton was able to serve as Secretary of State without being influenced by those foreign donations to the Clinton Foundation. Although 35% say they don’t know whether or not she was influenced, slightly more thought she was. Two out of three Republicans think her actions while Secretary of State were influenced by those donations, and one in five Democrats agree.
Economist/YouGov poll archives can be found here.
