Should She Stay or Should She Go? Feb 2018

Marist National Poll

In light of President Donald Trump’s alleged infidelity with porn star Stormy Daniels, a plurality of Americans (43%) think First Lady Melania Trump should remain with her husband and try to work things out. More than one in three (34%) believe Mrs. Trump should leave her husband, and 23% are unsure. When U.S. News & World Report released a similar poll question in 1998 about whether Hillary Clinton should leave then President Bill Clinton in the midst of the Monica Lewinsky scandal, an even larger proportion of Americans (58%) thought Mrs. Clinton should remain with her husband. 21% said she should leave him, and 21%, at that time, were unsure.

Nearly half of men (49%) think Mrs. Trump should stay with the president. Among women, there is little consensus. 38% believe she should make a fresh start, 36% say she should try to work through any problems in their marriage, and 26% of women are unsure.

Opinions differ by age. A plurality of Americans 45 or older (47%) think Mrs. Trump should try to work through her marital difficulties. Among those under 45 years old, 41% say she should leave. 38% disagree, and 21% are unsure. Of note, residents under 30 (45%) are more likely than any other age group to say Mrs. Trump should call it quits.

Half of Democrats (50%) think the first lady should move on with her life while more than seven in ten Republicans (71%) believe she should stay and work on the first couple’s marriage. There is little consensus among independents.

Complete February 14, 2018 Marist Poll Release of the United States
Complete February 14, 2018 Marist Poll of the United States (Tables of Adults and Registered Voters)
Marist Poll Methodology
Nature of the Sample