Washington: A majority of Americans oppose Donald Trump’s controversial plan to ban Muslims from entering the United States, but one in four supports it, according to the first major national poll since the furor erupted.

The frontrunner for the Republican nomination for the White House triggered an outcry on Monday with the proposal, which was lambasted at home and abroad.

Fifty-seven per cent of adults in the US are against the idea, while 25 per cent are for it, according to the new survey by NBC News and the Wall Street Journal on Thursday.

Eighteen per cent did not know or had no opinion.

Among Republicans the views are mixed: 42 per cent of Republican respondents back Trump’s Muslim ban, while 36 per cent oppose it.

Three-quarters of Democrats stand opposed.

The poll also found that 41 per cent of Americans believe Trump’s bombastic campaign statements in general are frequently insulting.

Twenty-two per cent say Trump is telling it like it is and has the correct approach.

The survey also showed that Americans have a favorable opinion of Muslims — 59 per cent positive compared to 29 per cent negative — upholding a relatively stable position on the question since 2002.