Poll: Donald Trump Unscathed, Hits 27 Percent in New Hampshire

A WBUR poll in New Hampshire taken in the midst of Donald Trump’s comments about banning Muslims from entering the United States due to the risk of terrorism shows Trump’s proposal hasn’t damaged the GOP frontrunner. In fact, it may have helped increase his numbers.

The poll was taken one day prior to Trump’s proposed Muslim ban, and two days after his comments.

The results show “Trump [is] building on his lead among likely voters in New Hampshire, with no evidence that his comments are hurting him,” a news release says. “In fact the night after he made them, the numbers went up.”

The WBUR poll results with voters that lean Republican are:

1. Donald Trump – 27 percent
2. Chris Christie -12 percent
3. Marco Rubio – 11 percent
4. Ted Cruz – 10 percent
5. Jeb Bush – 8 percent
6. John Kasich – 7 percent
7. Ben Carson – 6 percent
8. Carly Fiorina – 3 percent
9. Rand Paul – 2 percent
10. Mike Huckabee – 1 percent

The rest of the GOP field registered under one percent.

When asked which GOP candidate would be there second choice, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) ranks first with 15 percent and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie ranks second with 11 percent.

Forty-six percent of those surveyed said they would like to see the next President of the United States, “Somewhat from outside the political establishment.”

The people were also asked about which issues they think are major threats facing the nation.

Eighty-seven percent of those polled said ISIS is a major threat, and 57 percent said illegal immigration was a major threat. Nearly half, 49 percent, said mass shootings by Americans were a major threat, and only 22 percent said climate change was a major threat.

Those surveyed didn’t think that more restrictive gun control laws would be more effective, rather 73 percent said they would be ineffective at stopping mass shootings. However, 75 percent said they would support a federal law requiring universal background checks on gun purchases.

The survey asked the people to consider whether or not the following events were acts of terrorism.

Eighty-nine percent of those surveyed said that the shootings in San Bernardino was an act of terror, 38 percent said the shootings at the Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado last month was an act of terror, and 37 percent said the shooting at the South Carolina church earlier this year was an act of terror.

The results come from 402 likely voters in the New Hampshire 2016 Republican primary. The questions were conducted by phone from December 6th through 8th. Roughly nine in 10 of the participants previously voted in a primary. The WBUR poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 4.9 percent.