Larry White, a self-described Republican conservative, was considering voting for Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in his party’s presidential nominating contest, believing DeSantis had a better chance of retaking the White House from Democrats than former President Donald Trump.
Then, on March 30, it was announced that Trump had been indicted in New York on charges related to a hush money payment to a porn star, making him the first former president to face criminal charges.
“I’m voting for Trump now,” said White, 75, a composer and musician from Nevada. “Because Trump has been subjected to so much political abuse, the indictment was the final straw for me. I believe he is the best candidate to oppose what the left is doing. I’m completely committed.”
White’s outrage and return to Trump’s side over DeSantis mirrored the feelings of many Republican activists and voters interviewed by Reuters in Nevada. The western state votes early in the presidential nominating process, giving it a disproportionate role in determining who gains momentum in the 2024 election.
Before the indictment, the majority of the 35 Republicans interviewed by Reuters were willing to abandon Trump in favor of a different candidate for the 2024 election, believing he was too flawed and bombastic to win the general election for Republicans next year.
The criminal charges in New York upended everything, potentially giving Trump and his “Make America Great Again” movement a significant boost in their bid to re-enter the White House. According to legal experts, a trial is more than a year away, which means Trump could face a jury trial while campaigning.
Each of the 35 Republican activists and voters According to Reuters, will vote in the nominating contest to choose their 2024 White House candidate.
They all condemned the indictment as a baseless, politically motivated attack on Trump. The charges against Trump are not yet clear, but legal analysts believe he may be charged with falsifying business records to conceal the true nature of the payments.
Twenty of the 35 said they were considering abandoning Trump in favor of DeSantis. 14 said the indictment was changing their minds and causing them to reconsider supporting Trump.
“I was really for Ron DeSantis,” Pepe Kahn said on Saturday at a Republican club meeting in Henderson. “I’m now more likely to vote for Trump than I was before. People who were previously more neutral will now come out in support of him. This is the most terrifying thing I’ve ever seen in the United States.”
STORMY DANIELS PAYMENT
On Tuesday, Trump is expected to be arraigned, fingerprinted, and photographed in a New York courtroom, making him the first former president to face criminal charges. Trump’s attorney announced on Friday that he will enter a not-guilty plea.
The indictment came after a Manhattan grand jury heard evidence about a $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels that Trump allegedly authorized in the final days of the 2016 presidential campaign. Daniels, real name Stephanie Clifford, has claimed she was paid to remain silent about a 2006 sexual encounter with Trump. Trump has denied having this meeting; concealing payments like this could potentially violate campaign finance laws.
The reaction of congressional Republicans and even potential Republican rivals for the White House nomination to Trump’s indictment has demonstrated the firm grip that Trump still has on the party, thanks to the ardent support of a core group of voters.
Party leaders have thrown their support behind Trump. Even DeSantis, who has yet to declare his candidacy but is expected to do so soon, referring to the indictment as “un-American.”
Sarah Longwell, a Republican strategist, and Trump critic has held seven focus groups this year with people who voted for the businessman-turned-politician in the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections to gauge their feelings about his candidacy this time.
On Friday, a day after the indictment was announced, all nine members of her latest focus group said they would vote for Trump over DeSantis in the Republican primary, marking the first time the ex-president has received unanimous support in a focus group, according to Longwell.
Longwell explained that the reason was the indictment.
“People are always defensive on his behalf,” Longwell explained. The question now, she said, is whether Republican voters’ outrage on Trump’s behalf will last through the primary and help him defeat DeSantis, or whether it will fade and be replaced by renewed concerns about his electability.
Longwell believes the charges will not help Trump in the long run, especially if he is indicted in other investigations, such as alleged election interference in Georgia and mishandling of classified documents.
In an email to supporters on Sunday, Trump’s campaign boasted that it had raised more than $4 million since the indictment was announced. In an email to Reuters, Trump spokesman Steven Cheung said the charges had “surged” support for Trump.
“Americans of all backgrounds are sick and tired of the justice system being weaponized against President Trump and his supporters,” Cheung said.
