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GOP Voters Still Support Trump’s Muslim Ban

Support remains high and unchanged among Republicans for GOP front-runner Donald Trump’s controversial proposal to temporarily ban Muslims from entering the United States.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 67% of Likely Republican Voters favor a temporary ban on all Muslims entering the United States until the federal government improves its ability to screen out potential terrorists from coming here. Just 23% are opposed, while 10% are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

This is unchanged from early December when Trump first made the proposal following the terrorist massacre in San Bernardino, California. His plan drew the condemnation of President Obama, many in the media, virtually all of his political opponents and even some politicians abroad.

Among all likely voters, 45% still favor Trump’s plan, while 42% are opposed. This compares to 46% and 40% respectively in the previous survey. Twelve percent (12%) of these voters are now undecided.

Most voters (54%) continue to believe it is too easy for foreigners to legally enter the United States, although that’s down from 59% in December. Only nine percent (9%) think it’s too hard to enter this country legally, while 30% believe the level of difficulty is about right.

Among voters who say it’s too easy, 69% favor the temporary ban on Muslims entering the country. Voters who believe it’s too hard to legally enter the United States or say the level of difficulty is appropriate are strongly opposed to Trump’s plan.

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on March 30-31, 2016 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

A recent government report says that over 500,000 visitors to the United States overstayed their legal visas last year and didn’t go home. Most voters think those who overstay their visas are a serious national security threat and that the feds need to take stronger steps to deport them.

Republicans (73%) are more than twice as likely as Democrats (35%) to think it is too easy for foreigners to legally enter this country. Fifty-four percent (54%) of voters not affiliated with either major party agree.

Only 27% of Democrats favor the proposed temporary ban on admitting Muslims to this country; 60% are opposed. Unaffiliated voters are evenly divided.

Few voters in any demographic category believe it is too hard to enter the United States legally. But those under 40 aren’t nearly as convinced as their elders are that it’s too easy. These younger voters are also far more likely to oppose Trump’s proposed Muslim ban.

Whites and blacks feel more strongly than other minority voters that it is too easy to get into this country legally.

Seventy-eight percent (78%) of all voters have a favorable opinion of immigrants who work hard, support their family and pursue the American Dream, but only 55% believe that’s what most immigrants have in mind these days.

Sixty percent (60%) oppose the settling of Syrian refugees in the state where they live. Seventy-seven percent (77%) are concerned that giving thousands of Syrians asylum poses a national security risk to the United States.

Sixty percent (60%) believe the United States is at war with radical Islamic terrorism. However, 50% think the federal government does not focus enough on the threat of domestic Islamic terrorism

Most Americans consider it likely that there will be a Brussels-like terrorist attack here within the next year. But do Americans think the United States can ever be made completely safe from terrorist attacks? 

Additional information from this survey and a full demographic breakdown are available to Platinum Members only.

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on March 30-31, 2016 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

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