CNN chief national affairs correspondent Jeff Zeleny said Monday that swing-state voters informed him they are sickened and bored of President Donald Trump’s trial.
Trump is leading President Joe Biden by 13% among likely Nevada voters, 9% in Georgia, 6% in Arizona, 3% in Pennsylvania and 1% in Wisconsin, according to New York Times/Siena College polling published on Monday. Zeleny said the polling indicates that there has not been a political downside to Trump’s trial thus far, also saying voters currently care more about the economy.
“This is a reminder … that we have no idea at all, the political fallout from this, if there is any, from this trial,” Zeleny said. “It’s kind of remarkable to think that there wouldn’t be, but if you look at these battleground states that are going to be central to this reelection, the former president is beating the current president outside the margin of error in every state but two, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.”
“We will have to wait and see what this verdict is and how voters are assessing it,” he added. “But as I talk to voters across the country in these battleground states … many of them aren’t paying attention at all and are disgusted and sort of tired with this, but the numbers beyond the horse race are so interesting. The reason that President Biden is having problems, it’s because of young voters, voters of color, inflation. That is the issue on the minds of voters, not this.”
Trump has shrunk his deficit to Biden among black and Hispanic Americans, the NYT poll found. Biden leads 70% to 18% among black voters and 47% to 42% among Hispanic voters in the six swing states.
“So it’s still the economy, stupid?” host Wolf Blitzer asked, clarifying he was referring to the classic line rather than calling Zeleny dumb.
“It seems to be. Inflation really is at the heart of so much of this. We’ll see how much this is going to play a part. But as of now, it’s actually helped Donald Trump,” Zeleny said.
Trump is the defendant in a New York trial, where he faces 34 felony counts pertaining to allegedly falsifying business documents when reimbursing Michael Cohen for a payment to porn star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election. Several polls published since the start of jury selection have found that a conviction of the former president would not deter voters from backing Trump in November.
Many Americans also say they do not believe Trump acted illegally or is experiencing fair treatment in the case, polling shows.
“It’s not the hush money trial, stupid,” Blitzer quipped.
