How Americans saw the verdict for Trump

Opponents and opponents of former President Donald Trump may have “bet” on his downfall after his criminal conviction for 34 felonies on May 29. But how easy is that, when overwhelmingly large sections of the American people believe that he is still… innocent?

Not even ten days have passed since the verdict was heard on Trump, now criminal, and the first public opinion polls show that his political image has not been affected.

A post-conviction YouGov poll of 3,000 adults found 30% thought the former president was not guilty, while another 19% were unsure. Only 50% of respondents, who were more independent and Democratic, believed Trump was guilty;

The Morning Consult poll on the outcome of the trial had similar findings. 54% of registered voters applauded the decision, but 39% disapproved.

How might this affect Americans at the polls?

In a Reuters/Ipsos poll 25% of independents and 10% of Republicans said Trump’s guilt made them less likely to vote for Trump, 18% of independents and 35% of Republicans said the verdict made them more likely to vote for Trump.

But for the majority of Republicans and independents, his conviction had no effect on how they will vote in November.

56% of Republicans and independents respectively said the conviction did not change their minds.

In a Daily Mail poll, Trump’s conviction coincided with an increase in his approval ratings.

Is guilt “beneficial”?

22% of respondents said they had a more favorable view of Trump after hearing about the verdict, while just 16% had a more negative view. However, many voters polled saw no change.

32% of likely voters who already had a negative view of Trump did not change their minds. As did the 27% of likely voters who had a pre-existing favorable view of Trump.

No doubt many major media capitalized on his conviction, using pompous titles, “convicted criminal” and so on. but they failed to influence the political landscape.

Early polls do not suggest any substantial gains for Joe Biden.

The swing states, which are key to the election, did not seem to turn their backs on the guilty Trump. In Georgia, a Quinnipiac University poll conducted from May 30 to June 3 showed Trump leading Biden by 5 points in person and 6 points among third-party candidates.

An MNS/Mitchell Research poll in Michigan showed a tie, while in North Carolina Trump is steadily ahead.