Nearly half of Republicans say Trump should have 'authority to close news outlets if they behave badly': poll

According to a new poll, a plurality of Republican voters want President Donald Trump to be able to shut down media outlets if he decides they have engaged in "bad behavior."

The Ipsos poll, first reported by The Daily Beast, found that 43 percent of Republicans believe “the president should have the authority to close news outlets engaged in bad behavior.” Thirty-six percent of Republicans surveyed said that the president should not have the power to silence the press.

About a quarter of Republicans also said that Trump should shutter mainstream outlets like CNN and The Washington Post. Twenty-eight percent agreed with Trump's statement that the media are an "enemy of the people." And 79 percent said that media treats Trump "unfairly."

Only 12 percent of Democrats said that Trump should be able to shut down outlets he disagrees with. Twenty-one percent of self-identified independents also agreed that Trump should have the power.

Both Trump's daughter, Ivanka Trump, and his counselor, Kellyanne Conway, have recently said that they do not view the press as an enemy of the people.

Read more about the Ispsos poll from The Daily Beast.