Trump’s support steady after New York conviction: Poll

Former President Trump’s support in the presidential election has remained steady in the immediate aftermath of his felony convictions in his New York trial, according to a new poll. 

A survey from Emerson College Polling released Thursday showed Trump’s support nationwide among registered voters stayed at 46 percent, the same percentage as the poll has found since April. His lead over President Biden has shrunk in that time, tightening from 3 points to 1 point in the most recent poll, statistically tied. 

A plurality of 40 percent said Trump’s convictions had no impact on their decision for who to vote for in November. A third said they make them less likely to support Trump, while 27 percent said they make them more likely to support him. 

The Manhattan jury handed down a historic verdict last week in Trump’s hush-money trial, finding him guilty of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. The verdict made Trump the first former president to be convicted of a crime. 

Trump has continued to assert he has committed no wrongdoing and signaled he is likely to appeal the verdict. 

The poll found a split in views of the verdict falling on ideological lines. A majority of Democrats said the verdict makes them less likely to support Trump, while most Republicans said it makes them more likely to back him. 

Independents were more divided, with 41 percent saying it has no impact on their vote, 38 percent saying it makes them less likely to vote for Trump and 21 percent saying it makes them more likely. 

With the key voter bloc of those who said they are undecided between Biden and Trump, 58 percent said the verdict has no impact on their vote. But 36 percent said they are less likely to support him, and only 6 percent said they are more likely. 

Pollsters found 40 percent of respondents, including 67 percent of Democrats and 42 percent of independents, said Trump should serve prison time for his sentence, while 25 percent, including 46 percent of Republicans and 22 percent of independents, said he should pay a fine. Another 15 percent said he should receive probation. 

The poll was conducted from June 4 to 5 among 1,000 registered voters. The credibility interval, similar to margin of error, was 3 percentage points.