OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
The White House has gotten some devastating news as the conviction, in New York, of former President Donald Trump has not worked the way Democrats anticipated.
The Center Square reported that a new poll showed that the former president’s popularity has not dwindled post-verdict.
A new Emerson College Polling national survey found that a whopping 44 percent of those polled said that the 34 felony convictions did not impact their support for the former president; 33 percent said it made them less likely to support him, and another 27 percent said it made them more likely to vote for him.
“Trump’s support in our polling remained the same before and after his conviction,” Executive Director of Emerson College Polling Spencer Kimball said. “A majority of Democrats say it makes them less likely to support Trump (51%) and a majority of Republicans (55%) say it makes them more likely to support Trump. A plurality of independents say it makes no impact (41%), while 38% are less likely to vote for Trump and 21% more likely.”
“The poll found Trump had a narrow lead over President Joe Biden, with 46% of voters behind Trump and 45% backing Biden in the 2024 presidential election. Nine percent were undecided,” the report said.
Fox News host Greg Gutfeld predicted immediately following Trump’s trial it would prove to be a boon for his current White House campaign.
A jury convicted Trump of violations of law in an attempt to hide a payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 campaign, though scores of legal experts on the right and left repeatedly said during the six-week trial they could find no evidence that Trump did anything wrong, accusing Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg of manufacturing the charges to ‘get’ the former president.
But the conviction is only likely to supercharge Trump’s current presidential campaign, Gutfeld said during a segment on “The Five.”
“I believe that they just gave Popeye a gallon of spinach laced with steroids and meth,” Gutfeld began, using a quip. “And I think you are going to see this – the numbers aren’t going to go in Biden’s favor. I think this will not only solidify the [Trump] base, it will radicalize it, it will infuriate the independents and the undecideds, and those who see Biden as a desiccated, you know, barely alive person will be, I think I’m energized by their spirits.
“One thing, to your point about it, spinach fuel, the Trump donation site crashed a few minutes ago,” co-host Dana Perino responded. “And it is still down, which means, I think to your point, the base will be energized. WinRed also having similar problems.”
Perino, who served a stint as then-President George W. Bush’s press secretary, then shifted to co-host Jesse Watters: “Sentencing would be July 11th, Jesse. That’s two weeks after the first presidential debate. And four days before the RNC convention gets started. So it is all crunched.”
“Trump was found guilty because he beat Hillary and is about to beat Joe Biden. I thought I’d be angry. But I feel this cool resignation. This resoluteness. That we are wounded as a country. And we are not going to go down,” Watters said. “That we are going to get back up. We are going to regain our strength. And then we are going to vanquish the evil forces that are destroying this republic.
“And if you look at the American people, how are they looking at this? People are desperate for help from these politicians, for safety, for security. And these nitwits, consumed with hatred, are planning to destroy a man because he threatens their power,” Watters went on. “These are wicked people, obsessed with a person, and we will seek justice. We guarantee that.
“This man’s life is a Greek tragedy. From billionaire, bankrupt, TV star, and Hollywood Walk of Fame. Divorces. Marriages. Children. And that was even before he entered politics. And then you have investigations and hoaxes and a pandemic. And now they are trying to incarcerate this person. And the only way this act ends is if he is reelected, and it looks like he will be reelected,” Watters added.
