A majority of people in the United States believe President Trump is abusing his powers, according to a new Quinnipiac University survey released Wednesday.

The poll found 54 percent believe Mr. Trump is abusing his presidential powers and 43 percent said he isn't.

More than half of the public, 55 percent, said they believe Mr. Trump fired James Comey as FBI director to disrupt the federal investigation into possible collusion between Russian officials and Trump associates to interfere in the 2016 U.S. election.

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Fifty-four percent said they disapprove of Mr. Trump's decision to fire Comey, with 49 percent describing it as an abuse of power and 47 percent saying it was not an abuse.

A majority also said they don't believe the president's claim that Comey told him three different times that he was not under investigation. Fifty-five percent believe that Mr. Trump asked Comey to end the investigation into former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn.

Two-thirds of people said they support the appointment of a special prosecutor. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein appointed former FBI director Robert Mueller as special counsel to oversee the Russia probe last week.

More than two thirds, 68 percent, said that Russian interference in the election is "very important" or "somewhat important." Sixty-two percent said that the House should investigate their efforts.

Meanwhile, 37 percent approve of Mr. Trump's job as president and 55 percent disapprove.

The poll surveyed 1,404 voters between May 17 and 23 with a 3 percentage point of error.