The race to the White House remains tight between former President Donald Trump, the presumptive GOP presidential nominee, and President Joe Biden, the Democratic incumbent, one week after Trump was convicted on 34 felony counts by a New York jury. Trump has been criminally indicted four times, with one conviction at the moment, and also lost two civil defamation cases and one civil fraud case. Despite these legal troubles, Trump has maintained his innocence and has filed appeals in his civil case defeats.
Trump was found guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records related to hush money paid to adult-film actress Stormy Daniels shortly before the 2016 presidential election. The ex-president has denied allegations of a sexual encounter with Daniels in 2006 and declared the case politically motivated. Despite the guilty verdict, Trump’s overall support has not wavered significantly, according to polls. A recent national survey by Emerson College Polling showed 45.6 percent of registered voters would vote for Trump, while 45 percent preferred Biden in a head-to-head matchup.
In other polls conducted by The Economist/YouGov and Morning Consult, support for Biden and Trump was more or less equal when independent candidates were included in the mix. The Economist/YouGov poll found a tie at 42 percent among registered voters, while the Morning Consult survey gave Trump a slight lead over Biden. Most voters had reportedly already made up their minds regarding Trump’s criminal case before the verdict was announced, with the majority saying that the conviction did not change their vote for the upcoming election.
A recontact study by The New York Times and Siena College showed a slight shift in support after the verdict, with Trump losing 1 point and Biden gaining 1 point. In the recent poll, 47 percent of respondents said they would vote for Trump, while 46 percent chose Biden. This marked a small change from previous polls conducted in April and May where Trump had a slightly larger lead over Biden. The Times/Siena polls showed a consistent level of voter support for the candidates, with Trump generally maintaining a slight edge.
As the race to the White House continues, Trump’s legal challenges and criminal conviction have become a key talking point among voters. Despite his ongoing legal battles and guilty verdict, Trump’s support base remains largely unchanged. Biden also continues to campaign for re-election, hoping to secure victory in a potential rematch of the 2020 election. The outcome of the upcoming presidential race remains uncertain, with polls indicating a close contest between the two candidates and the potential for further shifts in voter preferences based on political developments and campaign strategies.
