Although half of likely American voters have a favorable view of the FBI, nearly two-thirds agree the agency has been politically weaponized, according to a Rasmussen Reports poll released Friday.
The national telephone and online survey of 950 likely voters taken Monday through Wednesday found 50% had a favorable view of the FBI, with 22% having a very favorable view. It found 45% had an unfavorable view, with 24% having an unfavorable impression of the agency. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points.
In a Feb. 9 hearing in front of the House Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government, former FBI agent Nicole Parker testified the FBI has become "politically weaponized, starting from the top in Washington, trickling down to the field offices."
In the poll, 64% of voters agreed with that statement, including 44% who strongly agreed. Just 30% disagreed, including 17% who strongly disagreed.
Among Republicans, 59% strongly agreed the FBI has been politically weaponized, as did 28% of Democrats and 45% of voters not affiliated with either party.
Although 69% of Democrats have at least a somewhat favorable impression of the FBI, only 37% of Republicans and 43% of unaffiliated voters shared that opinion. More Republicans (61%) and unaffiliated voters (50%) viewed the FBI unfavorably compared with Democrats (24%).
White voters (53%) are more likely than Black voters (45%) or other minorities (45%) to have a very favorable or somewhat favorable view the FBI. Majorities of all racial categories — 63% of white voters, 58% of Black voters, and 68% of other minorities — strongly or somewhat agree the FBI has been politically weaponized.
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