44 percent say Trump conviction in hush money case would not affect vote: Survey

Forty-four percent of respondents in a survey released Monday said their vote would not be affected if former President Trump is convicted in the New York hush money case.

The Politico Magazine/Ipsos poll found that about half of Americans believe Trump is guilty in Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s (D) hush money case against him, where the former president is charged with 34 counts related to falsifying business records. Forty-four percent of respondents said if he is convicted in the case, it would not affect how they vote, while 32 percent said it would.

However, a conviction in the hush money case could weaken Trump’s support among independents; the poll found that 36 percent of independents were less likely to support the former president if he is convicted in the case.

Nine percent of Republicans said they would be less likely to support Trump if he is convicted, 48 percent said there would be no impact while 34 percent said it would make them more likely to support Trump.

The Manhattan hush money case has been delayed to mid-April after new evidence was turned over to both parties. It was scheduled to start March 25, but Judge Juan Merchan will instead hold a hearing that day to discuss the schedule and the new documents.

Americans in the survey also rejected Trump’s claims of presidential immunity, with 70 percent saying they don’t think presidents should be immune from criminal prosecution over alleged crimes that took place while in office. The Supreme Court is slated to weigh the immunity claims brought by Trump in his federal election interference case April 25.

The poll was conducted among 1,024 adults March 8-10 and has a margin of error of 3.3 percentage points.