Most Americans disagree with Donald Trump over the GOP front-runner's proposal to ban Muslims from entering the United States, but Republicans are split on the issue, a new poll revealed.

Fifty-seven percent of all adults say the real-estate tycoon's measure should not be implemented, according to a survey conducted among 1,000 adults by NBC and the Wall Street Journal between Dec. 6 and Dec. 9, the network reported.

But among GOP backers, 42 percent support the proposal, while 36 told pollsters they oppose it. Given the survey's margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points, that almost translates to a statistical tie among Republicans.

The general opposition to a Muslim ban contrasts with an overall negative view of Islam, a religion of which 29 percent of Americans say they have a unfavorable impression, CBS News noted. The number of individuals who say they hold no opinion of Islam, meanwhile, has increased since last month's Paris terror attack perpetrated by the jihadist group ISIS, the network added.

Trump's plan to ban all foreign Muslims from entering the country, however, had received almost universal condemnation from lawmakers and commentators of all political stripes, the New York Times recalled. But given that 48 percent of Republicans hold an unfavorable view of Islam, his comments may not negatively affect his presidential campaign, the newspaper predicted.

"It turns out most Republican primary voters - who are, of course, the most conservative slice of the electorate - agree with Trump that the danger of jihadist terrorism calls for draconian measures," Doyle McManus commented in the Los Angeles Times. "People are frightened," he explained.

The newspaper pointed to a Alexandria, Virginia, focus group held on Wednesday to explain the prevailing attitude among GOP supporters.

"We have to do something. I mean, we cannot keep going down this path," voter Tina Collier, 65, insisted at the meeting. "It seems to be becoming more dangerous. I think we're all scared. And Trump is the only one who would come out and say something like this. No one else would."