Trump guilty verdict to test voter appetite for second Biden term
By
David Sivak
May 31, 2024 7:00 am
.
President Joe Biden has a fresh chance to make inroads with independent voters following former President Donald Trump’s conviction in his hush money case.
But if the president fails to do so, in polling and on Election Day, the verdict could end up validating fears about the strength of his reelection campaign.
Republicans are adamant that Trump’s conviction on 34 counts of business fraud on Thursday will not damage his run for president. His perceived shortcomings are already baked into the electoral cake, they say, while kitchen table issues like the economy will take precedence.
The messaging runs counter to months of polling showing at least some swing voters will be turned off by the felony conviction, centered on his efforts to conceal an alleged affair with porn star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election. Another open question is whether Republicans fuming over what they call a “weaponized” system of justice turn out in greater numbers on Nov. 5.
But what can be said in the hours after the bombshell verdict is that questions about Biden’s electability will be put in starker relief if he continues to trail Trump, now a convicted felon.
more
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/presidential/3023821/trump-guilty-conviction-tests-voter-appetite-biden/
