Trump faces the risk of voter and donor fatigue as indictments accumulate.
Former President Donald Trump Dominates Headlines with Indictments
Former President Donald Trump is once again making waves in the news with a series of indictments. His first indictment on March 30 had a significant impact on his polling numbers, pushing them above 50% where they have remained ever since. It also resulted in a massive fundraising haul for his campaign. However, with subsequent indictments and another one on the horizon, the law of diminishing returns may come into play.
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No president has ever been elected following an indictment, making Trump the first current or former president to face criminal charges. Surprisingly, these indictments have had a positive effect on Trump’s political standing. Within days of his initial charges, his polling numbers skyrocketed from 44% to 52%, and he raised nearly $4 million through WinRed from 80,000 donors on April 4, according to Politico.
Trump received another financial boost from his second indictment in early June, this time related to his handling of classified documents. Although the amount raised was smaller, $1.3 million from 35,000 donors, it still contributed to his campaign funds. The impact of the most recent indictment on fundraising remains to be seen, but his allies are already working to capitalize on the news.
The latest indictment includes four new charges connected to the Jan. 6 Capitol riot and Trump’s alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 election. Additionally, a fourth indictment in Fulton County, Georgia, is expected soon and is also related to his actions following the presidential contest. Republicans wasted no time denouncing these charges, viewing them as evidence of a two-tiered criminal justice system under President Joe Biden’s Department of Justice.
“This is now the third prosecution of Trump by Democrats, with a fourth prosecution expected by Fulton County’s DA any day now,” Tea Party Patriots leader Jenny Beth Martin said. “Meanwhile, the DOJ wants to give Hunter Biden a sweetheart deal and is covering up for ‘The Big Guy’s possible bribery and classified documents negligence. Conservatives experience persecution, while Democrats escape prosecution.”
While Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL), who is currently running behind Trump in the GOP primary, acknowledges the weaponization of the federal government through these charges, he also believes that Trump’s conduct has alienated a significant portion of the electorate. In an interview with Fox News, DeSantis stated, “There are too many voters who are just not going to vote for him going forward.”
Democratic strategist Tom Cochran argues that while the legal battles may help Trump secure the GOP nomination for a third time, they will have the opposite effect in the general election. Cochran believes that as the indictments pile up, it becomes increasingly challenging for Trump to fight against them on multiple fronts. Even skeptics and deniers will have to acknowledge the level of legal culpability demonstrated by multiple indictments. However, only time will reveal the true impact of these events on the election and the country.
In addition to the messaging war, Trump is also facing a legal battle that is depleting his resources. His political action committee, Save America, started the year with $105 million but now has less than $4 million, as reported by The New York Times. Over $40 million has already been spent on the former president’s personal legal needs. This means that he will need to continue spending on both the legal cases and the campaign for the foreseeable future.
DeSantis has also taken aim at this issue, with his campaign spokesman Andrew Romeo stating that Trump has “spent over $60 million this year on two things: falsely attacking Ron DeSantis and paying his own legal fees” instead of focusing on defeating Biden in 2024.
Despite the challenges, many leading Republicans predict that Trump’s supporters will only become more energized with each new twist in the legal proceedings.
“I think the American people see through this, and I think that every time Donald Trump gets indicted from this point on, he’s gonna see a bump in the polls, he’s gonna see an increase in fundraising,” House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) said. “And I think what Jack Smith is doing is having unintended consequences for what their ultimate goal is, and that’s to take Donald Trump out.”
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