After a jury convicted former President Donald Trump last week of 34 counts of falsifying business records to cover up a sex scandal, Republican lawmakers overwhelmingly threw their support behind their party’s 2024 standard-bearer .
But in a recent Reuters/Ipsos survey, a small but potentially significant share of Republican voters indicated they were less likely to support Trump after his conviction. Taken two days after the guilty verdict, 10 percent of GOP voters said the result would give them pause.
This could be important in November. The former president continued to lose votes to former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley in recent GOP primaries, particularly in critical suburban areas. And in battleground states that will be key to Trump and President Joe Biden, any small change could be a game-changer.
The majority of Trump’s most loyal supporters, meanwhile, said the conviction would not impact their vote and about 35% said the verdict made them more likely to support Trump.
Among independents, 25% said Trump’s belief made them less likely to support the former president. It could also bring down the ex-president. It could also impact Republican candidates in critical Senate and House races.
Like Republicans, the majority of independents – 56% – said the conviction would have no impact on their vote, while 18% of respondents said the conviction would make them more likely to support Trump.
The presidential race remains tight. More than 40% of respondents said they would support Biden in November, while 39% said they would support Trump.
businessinsider
