Two-thirds of Americans say a conviction of former President Donald Trump on charges of falsifying business records will not affect their decision on Election Day, according to a new poll out Thursday.
While 67% of registered voters told the NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist survey that a guilty verdict will “make no difference” to their vote, the percentage ticked up to 69% among those who said they would “definitely” go to the polls Nov. 5 — with 15% of that cohort saying they would be more likely to vote for Trump and the same percentage saying they would be less likely to vote for him.
Among self-identified Republicans, 64% said a conviction would make no difference in their support — while 25% said that verdict would make them more likely to vote to return the 45th president to office.
More than three-quarters (76%) of registered voters and 78% of “definite” voters said Trump’s prospective acquittal would make no difference to their vote. Another 12% of the latter group said they would be more likely to vote for Trump if he was found not guilty and 8% said they would be less likely to vote for Trump if he was acquitted.
Among self-identified Republicans, 68% said a Trump acquittal wouldn’t make a difference in their vote, while 26% said they would be more likely to vote for him and just 3% said it would reduce their chances of supporting the former president.
Even 65% of self-identified Democrats said a guilty verdict would have no effect on their vote, while 27% said they would be less likely to support the former president and 7% saying a conviction would make them more likely to vote for Trump.
If Trump is acquitted, three-quarters of Democrats say they would stick with their choice, while 17% said they would be less likely to vote for Trump and 8% said they would be more likely to elect him.