7% of Trump Supporters Leave, According to NYT Survey
Post-Conviction Fundraising Surges, Showing 'Supporter Rally' Phenomenon
U.S. President Joe Biden has narrowed the approval rating gap with former President Donald Trump, who was found guilty on charges related to 'hush money for sexual misconduct,' to just a 1 percentage point difference following the verdict.
On the 6th (local time), The New York Times (NYT) reported that after re-contacting 1,897 respondents who participated in a poll conducted from April to May following Trump's guilty verdict, the approval rating gap between former President Trump and President Biden shrank from 3 percentage points (Trump 48%, Biden 45%) to 1 percentage point (Trump 47%, Biden 46%).
The NYT suggested that some voters reconsidered their support for former President Trump after the guilty verdict on the 30th of last month. However, it explained that it cannot be certain that this change reflects the overall sentiment of the electorate.
According to the report, 93% of respondents who had previously participated in the survey continued to support former President Trump after the guilty verdict. Among the 7% who changed their minds, 3% shifted their support to President Biden, while the remaining 4% said they had not yet decided. The NYT analyzed that since this presidential election is highly competitive, losing 7% of Trump's supporters could be decisive in the outcome.
Previous polls showed that the intention to withdraw support for former President Trump was particularly notable among young people of color, voters with passive Democratic leanings, and respondents who disliked both candidates but had previously supported Trump.
The majority of respondents appeared undecided regarding the guilty verdict against former President Trump. Forty-six percent of respondents viewed the guilty verdict positively, while 16% said they had not obtained sufficient information to make a judgment.
However, the effect of rallying support among Trump's base has also been prominently observed, as evidenced by a surge in his campaign fundraising immediately following the guilty verdict. Former President Trump and the Republican National Committee raised $141 million (approximately 193.6 billion KRW) in campaign funds last month alone. This amount is 1.9 times the fundraising total from April. Notably, $53 million (approximately 7.28 billion KRW) was raised within 24 hours after the guilty verdict on the 30th of last month.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
