KEY POINTS
  • A majority of Americans see President Joe Biden's handling of classified documents as serious and inappropriate, a Quinnipiac poll found.
  • Less than half of respondents think it should result in criminal charges, according to the poll.
  • That result contrasts with how Americans viewed former President Donald Trump's handling of classified documents that were seized in an FBI raid of his residence last summer.
US President Joe Biden carries a red folder as he walks to the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC, on January 25, 2022, after returning from a surprise visit to nearby Barracks Row.

As the Justice Department investigates classified documents found in President Joe Biden's home and private office, a majority of Americans see the president's handling of the materials as serious and inappropriate — but much less than half think the conduct should result in criminal charges.

That's the result of a national poll released Wednesday by Quinnipiac University, which surveyed 1,380 U.S. adults between Thursday and Sunday about the documents and Attorney General Merrick Garland's subsequent appointment of a special counsel to investigate the matter.