The prosecution of former President Donald Trump has evenly divided Americans but appears to have boosted his chances of winning the Republican nomination for the 2024 election, according to a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll.

The poll was conducted between April 5-6, following the indictment of Trump by prosecutors in New York City on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.

The survey found that 49 percent of all Americans think it was right for prosecutors to pursue the indictment, the first criminal case against a US president or former president.

The poll’s findings underscore the political divide on so many Trump-related matters. Some 84 percent of self-described Democrats said the charges were merited, while only 16 percent of Republicans agreed.

Trump leads the field for the Republican nomination by a wide margin, with 58 percent of Republicans saying he is their preferred nominee, up from 48 percent in a poll released on April 3. (Reuters)