--- title: Poll: Americans Think DOJ Should Have Charged Clinton description: Majority of Americans surveyed in new poll disapprove of the FBI decision not to recommend charges canonical: https://time.com/4400757/hillary-clinton-fbi-james-comey-poll/ author: Maya Rhodan article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-07-11T12:55:39.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-22T23:09:40.014Z article:section: Politics og:title: Poll: Americans Think DOJ Should Have Charged Clinton og:description: Majority of Americans surveyed in new poll disapprove of the FBI decision not to recommend charges og:url: https://time.com/4400757/hillary-clinton-fbi-james-comey-poll/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3de4ae9b7f328ab7/69889b650a4a227d299ca677/gettyimages-545485028.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 5468 og:image:height: 3076 og:image:alt: ATLANTIC CITY, NJ - JULY 06: Democratic Presidential candidate og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Poll: Americans Think DOJ Should Have Charged Clinton twitter:description: Majority of Americans surveyed in new poll disapprove of the FBI decision not to recommend charges twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3de4ae9b7f328ab7/69889b650a4a227d299ca677/gettyimages-545485028.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Majority in U.S. Disagree with FBI Decision on Hillary Clinton Emails, Poll Finds > Sponsored content. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=462bedf2-bf67-4034-ad06-18c82ccf4f8b&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) by [Maya Rhodan](https://time.com/author/maya-rhodan/) ## Maya Rhodan Jul 11, 2016 12:55 PM UTC  Democratic Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks in front the shuttered Trump Plaza casino on the boardwalk of Atlantic City, NJ, on July 06, 2016\. The Washington Post—The Washington Post/Getty Images Democratic Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks in front the shuttered Trump Plaza casino on the boardwalk of Atlantic City, NJ, on July 06, 2016\. The Washington Post—The Washington Post/Getty Images The Washington Post—The Washington Post/Getty Images by [Maya Rhodan](https://time.com/author/maya-rhodan/) ## Maya Rhodan Jul 11, 2016 12:55 PM UTC A slim majority of Americans disagree with the FBI’s decision[ not to recommend charges ](http://time.com/4393705/hillary-clinton-emails-fbi-james-comey/?iid=sr-link2)against Hillary Clinton for her [use of a private email server](http://time.com/3739541/transcript-hillary-clinton-email-press-conference/?iid=sr-link1) during her time as Secretary of State, according to a new poll. According to a [ABC News/Washington Post poll](http://www.langerresearch.com/wp-content/uploads/1144a58Clintonemails.pdf), 56% of those surveyed disapprove of the FBI’s recommendation, 35 percent of those surveyed approve. The results come just a week after FBI Director James Comey delivered a detailed explanation of the bureau’s decision not to bring charges. The pollsters surveyed only 519 people, a relatively miniscule sample size. The poll also finds that 57% of Americans are worried about how Clinton would govern if she were elected president in November in the wake of the Justice Department’s decision not to indict her; 39% say the two are not related. Throughout the campaign, polls have found [voters distrustful of Clinton](http://time.com/3904698/hillary-clinton-2016-presidential-race-poll/?iid=sr-link2), though Republicans are more likely to say they don’t trust her than Democrats. And the ABC/WaPo poll also shows political affiliation is a major factor. Republicans and Independents were most likely to say the FBI was wrong and that they are worried about her potential presidency. The groups were also more likely to be among the 28% who said the decision made them less likely to vote for Clinton in the election. For 58%, however, the FBI’s decision will have no impact on their vote. 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