Former President Donald Trump’s conviction just might have been the missing key in his securing the 2024 election against President Joe Biden.
According to a new Quinnipiac University Georgia poll, Trump holds an advantage over Biden (49 - 44 percent) in a head-to-head matchup in the crucial battleground state.
Despite the unprecedented move, the conviction against Trump seems to working in his favor— a stark contrast from what the Democratic Party was hoping for when bringing politically motivated charges against him.
The survey also revealed that in a six-way hypothetical race that includes other candidates, Trump still leads with 43 percent of the support, while Biden has only 37 percent. Independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. got eight percent of the support, while Independent candidate Cornel West received three percent.
“Trump takes a narrow lead in the head-to-head horse race against Biden. Put four other 'horses' on the track, including the new Libertarian candidate, and he inches further ahead,” Quinnipiac University Polling Analyst Tim Malloy said.
The poll asked respondents if Trump’s conviction has any influence on who they will vote for in November. Among Republicans, only 10 percent agree with the verdict while 86 percent disagree.
However, among Democrats, 96 percent agree with the verdict, while one percent disagree. 52 percent of Independents agree with the verdict, while 42 percent disagree.
It is important to note that Biden won Georgia in 2020.
Respondents were asked if Trump’s guilty verdict changed the way they view the 45th president. Twenty-three percent of voters said that it makes them more likely to vote for Trump in November, while 54 percent said it doesn’t impact their choice of candidates.
Among Independents, only 18 percent of responses said it makes them less likely to vote for him.
“In a key state that went for Biden in 2020, half of voters agree with the guilty verdict that made Trump the first president to be convicted of a felony, but Trump still has the advantage in the 2024 race,” Malloy continued.
Respondents were also asked who they would rather handle major issues that the U.S. is facing, Trump or Biden, on matters such as the Ukraine war, the Israel-Hamas war, and immigration. All of which indicated that they trust Trump more on the issues.
- Fifty-three percent believe Trump would do a better job at handling the Israel-Hamas war.
- Fifty-four percent say Trump chose Trump to handle Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
- Fifty-six percent believe Trump is more competent to handle illegal immigration, and 58 percent trust the former president with the economy.