Internet roots for Trump as guilty verdict in hush money trial could 'fundamentally change' 2024 presidential race
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Former President Donald Trump's conviction in his landmark New York City trial is propelling his 2024 election rematch with President Biden into unprecedented territory. Trump, the first ex-president to be tried in a criminal case, is now the first major party nominee to seek the presidency as a convicted felon.
Trump's guilty verdict on all 34 felony counts of falsifying business records may significantly affect the course of the presidential race, where he currently has a narrow lead in national polls and public opinion surveys in many key battleground states that are expected to determine the election's outcome.
Will Donald Trump's conviction affect his presidential bid?
However, two-thirds of registered voters nationwide surveyed in an NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist National Poll released on May 30 —just hours before the high-profile verdict—stated that a conviction in the trial would not alter their vote in the presidential election.
Seventeen percent expressed that a conviction of Trump would make them less likely to vote for him, while 15 per cent indicated they would be more inclined to support the former president at the polls.
"If Donald Trump is a convicted felon going into the November election, that has to mean something to the small number of undecided voters in the six battleground states that will decide the election," seasoned Democratic strategist Chris Moyer told Fox News.
Moyer, an experienced strategist for several Democratic presidential campaigns, stressed that "every little development in this race could push voters one way or another. Nobody wants to be a convicted felon when you’re putting your name on the ballot."
Longtime Republican consultant Colin Reed acknowledged that it's "never a good thing to be convicted, in life or politics, of a crime."
"But the old rules and the old conventional way of thinking have never really applied to Donald Trump throughout his life as a political figure," Reed, an experienced campaigner for multiple GOP presidential runs, stated.
"It remains to be seen if this is a political anvil or if it’s just another chapter in a long saga of ups and downs for a guy who survived seemingly insurmountable political odds before," Reed added.
Charges against Donald Trump
Donald Trump faced charges of falsifying business records related to payments made during the 2016 election to Stormy Daniels, intended to silence her about an alleged affair.
Michael Cohen, Trump's former attorney, paid Daniels $130,000 for her silence regarding her alleged 2006 affair with Trump. The prosecution claimed this was an illegal attempt to influence the election, with both Cohen and Daniels testifying against Trump.
The case has garnered significant media attention across television and online platforms.
Trump consistently denied the falsification of records and the alleged affair, asserting without evidence that the White House and the Department of Justice orchestrated the prosecution. Additionally, Trump received multiple fines and faced jail threats for breaching a gag order designed to protect witnesses and jurors from his comments.
After the verdict, Trump addressed the media, calling it "disgraceful," alleging that the trial was "rigged," and stating that the "real verdict is going to be Nov 5 by the people," alluding to his upcoming rematch with Biden for the presidency.
"The whole thing was rigged from day one — from the venue to the judge," Trump continued in a special interview with Brooke Singman of Fox News. The former president will present a press conference on FMay 31 at 11.00 am Eastern Time.
Chris Anderson believes a Trump's guilty verdict would 'fundamentally' change the race
The Democratic partner in the Fox News Poll and seasoned pollster Chris Anderson, a part of the Fox News Election Decision Team, expressed his opinion that "a guilty verdict would fundamentally change the landscape of the race."
In a case that has garnered a great deal of attention on cable news networks, the internet, and social media, both Cohen and Daniels testified for the prosecution and were grilled by Trump's attorneys during cross-examination.
According to Daron Shaw, a professor of politics at the University of Texas and chair, "prior to 2020, no one would have thought that a candidate could survive a criminal conviction."
Shaw is also a member of the Fox News Decision Team and the Republican partner on the Fox News Poll. "But times and circumstances have evolved. And while the specific findings of the jury could matter, I think there is a sense that a conviction in this case would not appreciably change the dynamics of the race," Shaw emphasized.
Both indicate that attitudes are firmly entrenched concerning the former Republican president and his Democratic successor in the White House.
Internet supports Donald Trump after conviction
As soon as the news went viral on Facebook, users started sharing their opinions. A user wrote supporting Trump, "Very sad for our Justice system. I will be voting for Trump."
Another supporter added, "Can’t wait to vote for my very first convicted Felon!"
The third commentator stated, "Every person, every minority who suspected the legal system was rigged against them, have now been justified in their beliefs. They will now vote Trump."
"Still voting trump. I know the is a political game just like 2020," one person went on to say.
Other Facebook user concluded, "Biden keep going!!! You’re going to make Trump win!!! Trump 2024!! He’ll win on appeal!!"
This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.
