Former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump holds up a fist as he arrives back at Trump Tower after being convicted in his criminal trial in New York City, on May 30, 2024. (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images)
The first major swing state poll following former President Trump's guilty verdict in his New York City trial last week revealed a solid lead for one candidate just five months ahead of the November general election.
Georgia voters favor Trump over Biden 49% to 44% in a head-to-head matchup, according to the Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday, which was taken following the former president's highly publicized and intensely scrutinized conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records.
Trump's lead over Biden grew to a six-point spread (43%-37%) with the inclusion of independent presidential candidates Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. (8%) and Cornel West (3%), as well as the Libertarian Party's Chase Oliver (3%) and the Green Party's Jill Stein (2%).
The all-important independent vote was evenly split between Trump and Biden at 45% each.
MORE: Georgia Appeals Court halts Trump's election case while Fani Willis disqualification appeal pending
Fifty percent said they agreed with the guilty verdict against Trump, while 44% said they disagreed. However, a whopping 54% said the verdict will have no effect on their vote, and 23% said it will make them more likely to vote for the former president. Just 22%, made up mostly of Democrats, said it would make them less likely to vote for Trump.
Just 18% of independents and 5% of Republicans said the verdict made them less likely to support Trump.
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Biden calls Trump rhetoric over conviction 'dangerous'
For the first time, President Biden made his first public comments on former President Trump's conviction. Biden said the legal process, which led to the convictions, is proof the American legal system works.
Concerning Trump's election interference case in Fulton County, a 54% majority said they believed Trump did nothing illegal, but 25% believe he did act unethically. Forty-one percent said they believed Trump did something illegal.
MORE: Trump campaign says donations have poured in after guilty verdict
Trump holds a double-digit advantage over Biden when it comes to which candidate would better handle voters' top issues in the race, including immigration (56%-39%), the economy (58%-38%), the Israel-Hamas war (53%-39%) and the war between Russia and Ukraine (54%-41%).
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Trump's Georgia case stalled by appeals court
New developments involving the Fulton County election interference case. A state appeals court has stopped the criminal case against former President Donald Trump and other defendants for now.
Voters also believe Trump would be the best candidate to preserve democracy (49%-46%), but Biden held a slight advantage on the issue of abortion (47%-45%).
Biden's job approval in Georgia stood at 36%, with 60% disapproving.
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