Poll: 60% of voters back Trump’s travel ban

President Donald Trump delivers remarks during a visit to the Department of Homeland Security with Vice President Mike Pence (R) on January 25 in Washington, D.C. Two days later he signed an execurive order that bars citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States or 90 days, all refugees for 120 days and indefinitely halts refugees from Syria. Pool photo by Chip Somodevilla/UPI

July 5 (UPI) — Six in 10 voters support President Donald Trump‘s travel ban from six predominantly Muslim nations, according to a Politico/Morning Consult poll.

Conversely, 28 percent were opposed to the poll question, which gauged support for “new guidelines” from the U.S. State Department, “which say visa applicants from six predominately Muslim countries must prove a close family relationship with a U.S. resident in order to enter the country.”

Trump’s name and the president’s executive orders were not mentioned in the question.

On June 26, the U.S. Supreme Court allowed some elements of the 90-day travel ban to be implemented while the justices hear the merits of the case in the fall.

The poll was conducted last Thursday and Friday among 1,989 registered voters. The margin of error is 2 percentage points. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security implemented the executive order Thursday night.

The six Muslim-majority nations are Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. In the original executive order, nationals from Iraq were banned. The newer order also allowed them to entire the countries with visas and green cards.

The executive order also suspended U.S. refugee programs for 120 days.

Broken down by party affiliation, 84 percent of Republicans support the ban and 9 percent oppose it. Among Democrats, 41 percent back it and 46 percent are against it. With independents, 56 percent are in favor and 30 percent opposed.

Politico asked a question on the ban in March but with different wording after Trump signed a revised executive order to comply with lower-court rulings against the first order in January. When asked if they “approve or disapprove of a revised executive order that prohibits persons from six predominantly Muslim countries without visas from entering the United States for 90 days and halting the processing of refugees for 120 days,” 56 percent said they approve it and 33 percent disapproved.

“Since we last asked about Trump’s travel ban, we’ve seen a drop in those who oppose the executive order,” said Morning Consult Chief Research Officer and Co-Founder Kyle Dropp. “Though, we’ve also seen an uptick in those who do not have any opinion on the matter or have yet to settle on one.”

Voters are open to broader exemptions of the plan.

Eighty percent believe travelers from the six countries should be admitted to the United State if they have a parent living in America, 78 percent of respondents say they support allowing travelers to join a spouse or child in the country and 73 percent if siblings are in the nation. The Trump directive permits all three situations.

And 67 percent think travelers with a grandparent in the country should be admitted, which the directive does not allow. Also not permitted are aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, and any other “extended” family members may not claim those relationships.

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