A newly released poll shows a majority of voters approve of a New York jury's conviction of former President Donald Trump on 34 felony charges.
But the same poll appears to suggest that Trump's legal battles are not having much of an impact on voters' opinions of November's presidential election.
What you need to know: Former President Donald Trump's felony conviction hasn't changed voter support, but it has led to increased enthusiasm for the election, especially among Republicans, as the months have passed, according to a new survey from the Monmouth University Polling Institute. About one in five registered voters are “double haters,” meaning they are not enthusiastic about either candidate. 54% of double haters don't plan to vote for either candidate.
Essentially, a recently released Monmouth University Polling Institute survey suggests that while the election is currently a close one, it's a topic that's increasingly on people's radar.
“Many Americans are skeptical of these high-profile trials, and partisan divides are clear depending on which defendants you're talking about. Still, the results suggest Republicans have more distrust in the judicial process than Democrats,” said Patrick Murray, director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute.
Voter support for President Trump and President Joe Biden has remained similar for more than a year, according to the survey released Thursday. Nearly half of registered voters surveyed, 49%, say they will definitely not vote for Biden, while 49% of voters surveyed say they will definitely not vote for Trump. About 31% of voters say they will definitely vote for Biden, while 12% say they will probably vote for the Democratic incumbent, while 32% say they will definitely vote for Trump, while 12% say they will probably vote for the Republican challenger.
One area where the polls show a shift is voter enthusiasm: About 48% of voters were enthusiastic about voting in June, compared with 39% in April. The difference is along partisan lines, with about 71% of Republicans looking forward to the November elections, compared with 46% of Democrats and just 34% of independents.
“Voter enthusiasm has a limited impact on actual voter turnout, but it is interesting to see the partisan gap on this metric continue to favor Republicans even as enthusiasm grows as Election Day approaches,” Murray said.
Republicans, or at least voters with conservative views, are more likely to believe that the decision to bring 34 felony charges of falsifying business records was politically motivated: 93% of Republicans and 89% of liberals believe the charges were political in nature. (80% of Democrats and 70% of liberals feel that political motivation is unlikely.)
The poll also features a specific group of people called “double haters” who dislike both candidates. A majority of double haters, 54%, plan to vote for neither candidate, while 28% intend to vote for Biden and 19% intend to vote for Trump. About 19% of registered voters, or one in five, belong to the double hater camp.
