Trump’s claims of vote rigging and media bias take hold in North Carolina | McClatchy Washington Bureau

Men who support Donald Trump in North Carolina are less likely than women in the state to think that multiple allegations of sexual assault against the Republican presidential nominee are true, a recent university-run political poll finds.

Trump and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton are making frequent stops in the Tar Heel State – a key battleground in the race for the White House. An average of recent polling shows Clinton with a 3-point lead in North Carolina. The recent Elon University poll shows a tighter race – one that is too close to call, says Jason Husser, director of the Elon Poll.

“North Carolina is still very much in play for both Trump and Clinton . . . (and) is continuing its tradition as a source of true toss-up electoral votes,” Husser said.

Among the 710 likely voters called last week, the Elon Poll finds clear divides between self-identified Democrats and Republicans on the issues of sexual assault allegations, voter fraud and media treatment of Trump and Clinton.

“Perceptions of the allegations against Donald Trump are a clear example of partisan-motivated reasoning,” Husser said. “That’s seen in that 79 percent of Democrats said sexual assault accusations were ‘mostly true,’ compared to only 15 percent of Republicans.”

There’s also a gender split in how North Carolina voters view the accusations. Elon pollsters found 51 percent of women think the allegations against Trump are “mostly true,” compared with 38 percent of men asked.

National news outlets have extensively covered the women who accuse Trump of unwelcome sexual advances. But most Trump supporters – 92 percent – in North Carolina think media coverage is biased against Trump, the Elon Poll finds. Overall, 56 percent of all respondents in the poll think the media is biased.

The same crowd of Trump supporters in the poll have grave concerns about voting fraud.

“The Trump campaign’s arguments about election rigging seem to be working in North Carolina,” Husser said.

The Elon Poll found that 83 percent of likely North Carolina voters say they will accept the results of the election as valid regardless of who wins. But that sentiment is stronger among Clinton supporters.

Just 72 percent of self-identified Trump supporters said they’d accept the results.