Majority says Brian Williams should be allowed to return

A majority of Americans say star anchor Brian Williams should be allowed back on “NBC Nightly News” following his six-month suspension, according to a CNN/ORC International poll released Wednesday. 

The poll found that 52 percent want Williams to return to his position at the helm of the NBC news program, while 40 percent say he should not be allowed back in the anchor chair.

{mosads}Democrats are more sympathetic than Republicans to Williams.

A majority of Democrats, 58 percent, said NBC should allow Williams to return to the hosting chair, compared to only 45 percent of Republicans.

Williams was suspended after repeatedly telling a story about his being a passenger in a helicopter he said was hit with a rocket-propelled grenade. It turned out that the helicopter Williams was traveling in had not been hit.

Substitute NBC anchor Lester Holt has mostly maintained Williams’s audience, and last week beat runner-up ABC in the ratings.

The CNN poll of 1,027 U.S. citizens was conducted Feb. 12-15 with a margin of error of 3 points.