HUFFPOLLSTER: Donald Trump’s Latest Controversies Split Americans Along Party Lines

The reaction to new allegations against Donald Trump highlight deep partisan divides. A new set of polls finds Hillary Clinton ahead in key battleground states. And recent data suggests the presidential race in Texas is closer than expected. This is HuffPollster for Wednesday, October 19, 2016.

PARTISANSHIP DIVIDES REACTION TO TRUMP SCANDALS - HuffPollster: “Americans are more likely than not to consider the sexual assault allegations against Donald Trump credible, according to a new HuffPost/YouGov poll. But opinions are deeply divided along party lines, with many Republicans saying that, even if true, the allegations aren’t enough to disqualify him from the presidency. If the allegations are true, 44 percent of Americans say that should disqualify Trump from the presidency. Twenty-seven percent say that it would be relevant to the election, but not disqualifying, while 22 percent believe it wouldn’t be relevant to the election at all….Although 19 percent of Republicans think the claims would be disqualifying, a 39 percent plurality say that, even if it were proven that Trump sexually assaulted women, it would not be relevant to the election….Partisan divides go deeper than just the response to Trump. Feelings about the broader topic of sexual assault are also significantly polarized. As the political scientist Michael Tesler noted this week, Republicans ― especially those who supported Trump in the primaries ― were already more likely than others to believe that ‘women who complain about harassment often cause more problems than they solve.’” [HuffPost]