General Michael Flynn recently resigned from his role as the Trump administration’s National Security Advisor, following the intelligence community leaking conversations between Flynn and the Russian ambassador during the transition period. The media, along with Democratic lawmakers, waged a campaign accusing him of undermining the Obama administration and pointing out that he lied to the current White House about the conversations.
“The people who gave information to the press should be ashamed,” US President Donald Trump said of the leakers during a recent press conference.
Across party lines however, the numbers in Reuters’ survey are split, with 43 percent of Americans more concerned about the reports of contact with Russia than the leaks. Another 39 percent of voters overall were most concerned with the leaks, while 19 percent responded that they did not know.
"Republicans have now put a higher priority on their partisan identification and support for their current leader than principles they have had for many decades," Larry Sabato, director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, told Reuters. "We live in such a polarized era."
Gary Crosen, 65, a retiree from Millersville, Maryland, who was one of those polled, explained why he is more concerned with the leaks.
"I consider Russia one of our friends," Crosen told the pollsters, explaining that he does not think the private conversations should have been leaked. "And we don't need to publicize it the way the news media has.”
