Poll: Most Americans say Trump profited unethically or illegally

A majority of U.S. adults surveyed believe President Donald Trump has profited from the presidency illegally or unethically, and more than half say he has heavily prioritized his personal business interests, according to an AP-NORC poll released October 13. About six in 10 respondents said Trump had engaged in illegal or unethical profiteering. More specifically, 41% said he had done something illegal, while 18% said his conduct was unethical but not illegal. Another 21% said they did not know enough to judge. The findings measure public opinion and do not establish whether Trump broke the law. The poll found that 56% of adults said Trump had prioritized his personal business interests a lot since returning to the White House in 2025. A similar 54% said he had given that much attention to the business interests of friends and family. By comparison, about 23% said he had prioritized the country as a whole a lot, and 11% said he had shown that level of focus on people like them. Views on whether Trump acted illegally varied sharply by party.