Poll: Americans increasingly believe Russia will try to interfere in midterms

A growing number of Americans say its likely Russia will try to interfere in the 2018 midterm elections in the United States, a new poll shows.

Forty-eight percent of U.S. adults believe it is likely or very likely that Moscow will meddle in the upcoming midterms, according to new polling released by Marist University. The latest figure represents a seven-point increase over the 41 percent reported earlier this month.

The survey was conducted over two days last week, after top U.S. intelligence officials said they expect Moscow to try to interfere in the 2018 midterms.

“There should be no doubt that Russia perceived its past efforts as successful and views the 2018 midterm elections as a potential target for Russian influence operations,” Director of National Intelligence Dan CoatsDaniel (Dan) Ray CoatsNSA deletes scores of call records over ‘technical irregularities’ GOP senator places hold on Trump counterintelligence nominee Civil liberties groups press Trump administration on NSA call record collection MORE said in testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Feb. 13. 

The new polling also follows significant developments in special counsel Robert MuellerRobert Swan MuellerSasse: US should applaud choice of Mueller to lead Russia probe MORE’s investigation into Russian interference, including his indictment of 13 Russians accused of orchestrating an elaborate scheme to influence the election and sow political discord.

According to the latest Marist poll, 44 percent of Americans believe Russia is not likely to interfere in the midterms, a decrease from the majority 53 percent who said so in early February. 

Democrats are more likely than Republicans to expect Russia to meddle in the 2018 midterms, though Americans from both parties see it as a growing probability, the poll shows.