A new Rasmussen poll reveals that 60% of Democrats believe the 2016 Trump–Russia collusion narrative was real, despite repeated evidence debunking the claim. Among liberal voters, 69% still hold firm to the theory, while just 27% of conservatives agree.
The survey, conducted July 6–7 among 1,014 likely U.S. voters, found 42% overall consider it likely that President Trump’s 2016 campaign colluded with Russia, including 24% who believe it was “very likely.” In contrast, 49% say collusion was unlikely, and 36% categorize it as “not at all likely.”
Miranda Devine of the New York Post emphasizes the political divide: “A whopping 69 percent of liberal voters still cling to the Russia collusion hoax, compared to 27 percent of conservatives, and 45 percent of moderates.”
Democrats who cling to the narrative are often influenced by mainstream media outlets like The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN, MSNBC, ABC, CBS, and NBC, which rarely acknowledged that the collusion theory had been thoroughly debunked.
This enduring belief intersects with findings from bipartisan investigations: the Mueller Report (March 2019) concluded it “did not establish” that the Trump campaign conspired or coordinated with Russia, and the Senate Intelligence Committee echoed that no evidence of collusion was found.
Republicans point to the Durham Report (May 2023) and the DOJ Inspector General’s analysis, citing errors in FISA warrant applications—but no proof that political bias motivated the Russia probe.
Still, the new poll underscores a significant partisan divide: even after years of official investigations and judicial scrutiny, a majority of Democrats remain entrenched in the collusion narrative. Critics argue this perpetuates distrust in conservative leaders, especially President Trump, and contributes to an entrenched media narrative. Conservative analysts view the continued belief as confirmation of legacy media’s ongoing bias.
