A recent poll reveals a plurality of Americans believe the most important factor in picking a candidate to support is whether he or she is “honest and trustworthy.” However, most Americans do not believe the current presidential front-runners are honest and trustworthy.
An Economist/YouGov poll asked 2,000 American adults what is most important when picking a candidate. In response, 38 percent said it is most important that a candidate is “honest and trustworthy.” By comparison, merely 22 percent responded the most important factor in picking a candidate is one who “has policy proposals I agree with.”
When it comes to the current presidential front-runners, Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton and Republican candidate Donald Trump, the poll also shows most Americans do not think they are trustworthy or honest.
Asked if they think Hillary Clinton is honest and trustworthy, 57 percent of those polled said she is “not honest and trustworthy.” Only 29 percent responded Clinton is “honest and trustworthy.”
Among Democrats, 56 percent stated Clinton is “honest and trustworthy” while 30 percent who indicated they believe she is “not honest and trustworthy.”
Clinton fares even worse among likely Democratic primary voters. Half of likely Democratic primary voters consider Clinton “honest and trustworthy” while 38 percent responded she is “not honest and trustworthy.”
Of all Americans polled, 55 percent responded that they think Trump is “not honest and trustworthy” while 27 percent think he is “honest and trustworthy.”
Among Republicans, 54 percent described Trump as “honest and trustworthy” while 29 percent stated they think he is “not honest and trustworthy.”
As is the case with Clinton, likely Republican primary voters have a more negative view of their front-runner.
For likely Republican primary voters, 52 percent believe Trump is “honest and trustworthy.” More likely Republican primary voters called Trump “not honest and trustworthy” compared to general Republicans, with 34 percent describing him “not honest and trustworthy.”
The YouGov/Economist poll was conducted via Web-based interviews from Feb. 24-27. The margin of error is ± 2.9 percent (adjusted for weighting).