Poll reveals both pro-life and pro-choice Americans favor abortion restrictions

A new Marist poll has indicated that a majority of Americans, including those who identify as pro-choice, oppose the use of tax dollars to fund abortions and support substantial restrictions on the procedure.

The poll, which was sponsored by the Knights of Columbus, revealed that 83 percent of Americans oppose the use of tax dollars to support abortion overseas. Over six out of 10 Americans are against the use of public funds to support abortion in the U.S. This includes nine in 10 supporters of Donald Trump and even four in 10 supporters of Hillary Clinton.

The survey suggested that there is a bi-partisan consensus on limiting abortions to the first trimester, Life Site News reported. As many as 55 percent of Clinton supporters and 91 percent of Trump supporters said that they are in favor of such limits.

Overall, almost three-quarters of Americans want abortions restricted to the first trimester, at most. Among those who support the restriction, 74 percent want the Supreme Court to rule in favor of those limits. This amounts to about 55 percent of Americans who support such action by the Court.

Almost six in 10 Americans have said that limiting abortions to the first trimester is an immediate priority or an important one. This includes 78 percent of Republicans and 47 percent of Democrats. Among those who identify as pro-choice, 44 percent have said that restricting abortion is an immediate priority or is important.

"There is a consensus in America in favor of significant abortion restrictions, and this common ground exists across party lines, and even among significant numbers of those who are pro-choice," said Knights of Columbus CEO Carl Anderson.

"This poll shows that large percentages of Americans, on both sides of the aisle, are united in their opposition to the status quo as it relates to abortion on demand. This is heartening and can help start a new national conversation on abortion," he continued.

Regardless of the respondents' views on whether abortion should remain legal, 59 percent, including eight in 10 Trump supporters and almost four in 10 Clinton supporters, believe that abortion is morally wrong.

The poll results were broken down by multiple categories, including religious affiliation. Among practicing Catholics, meaning those who attend Mass at least once a month, 62 percent believe that abortion does more harm than good for the woman. Forty percent of non-practicing Catholics said that abortion improves a woman's life while 42 percent said it does more harm than good.

The survey was conducted by the Marist Poll from Dec. 12 to 19 last year, with 2,729 adult respondents.