Poll: 4 in 10 Republicans think senior Trump advisers had improper dealings with Russia

A new poll shows roughly two-thirds of Americans and 43 percent of Republicans think it’s very or somewhat likely that President Trump’s advisers had improper dealings with Russia.

The CBS News poll, released Wednesday, indicates 49 percent of Republicans think it’s not very or not at all likely that Trump associates had improper dealings with Russia. The poll reflects responses gathered after Trump’s former national security adviser Michael Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russia.

Two-thirds of Americans said they believe Flynn’s guilty plea is a “serious matter” for the Trump administration, according to the poll.

{mosads}Flynn is the fourth former Trump associate to plead guilty or be indicted in special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation.

Meanwhile, 81 percent of Republicans said they think special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia is politically motivated.

Overall, Americans are almost evenly split on whether the investigation is justified or politically motivated.

Trump has said he is not personally under investigation in Mueller’s probe. He also reportedly told friends he believes the investigation will wrap up shortly.

Trump has blasted coverage of his campaign’s possible collusion with Russia, calling it an excuse by Democrats for losing the election.

The CBS poll was conducted from Sunday through Tuesday with 1,120 adults. The margin of error is 4 percentage points.