From Georgia election meddling accusations to corporate fraud charges related from alleged hush money payments to porn actress Stormy Daniels, White House hopeful Donald Trump faces 91 criminal counts in total, in addition to a civil fraud trial in New York.
The former president’s once-faithful court looks much less confidence in the midst of his legal fights. Large conservative organizations, such as Americans for Prosperity Action and the Club for Growth, have stated that they will oppose Trump’s potential GOP nomination; other current Republican candidates, such as former Vice President Mike Pence and former Governor Chris Christie, have also disavowed Trump after years of support.
Now, as his four criminal cases proceed to trial, several of his aides, supporters, and co-defendants are pointing the finger at him. The latest on the list is Mark Meadows, Trum’s former White House chief of staff, who has pointed the finger at his former boss holding him primarily responsible for attempts to overturn the election result in Georgia.
Jenna Ellis, a pro-Trump lawyer who magnified Trump’s bogus accusations of election fraud as part of a legal “elite strike force team,” also pleaded guilty on Tuesday as part of a plea agreement with Georgia prosecutors. Last week, prosecutors had reached guilty pleas with Kenneth Chesebro, an architect of the attempt to deploy phony Trump electors in Georgia and other swing states, and Sidney Powell, an outspoken member of Mr. Trump’s legal team who spun wild conspiracy theories in the aftermath of the election.
It’s not unusual for co-defendants facing substantial jail time to point fingers at each other in order to appear less guilty to a jury. But it has seldom happened in such an exceptional way, with the suspected mastermind being a former president.
Is this affecting Trump’s electoral chances? Surprisingly, no. In contrast, some polls show Biden – grappling with a disastrous state of the world and extra spending to support Israel and Ukraine – as the runner-up behind Trump.
In a national Emerson College poll released Friday, the former president led Biden by 2 points, and by 4 points in a Bloomberg/Morning Consult poll released Thursday of seven key swing states that will most likely decide the outcome of the 2024 race, including Arizona, Georgia, North Carolina, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania.
The Biden campaign looks to be preparing for what will most likely be a close battle. It reportedly intends to put its organizing technique to the test in two swing states, Wisconsin and Arizona, by recruiting additional workers and focusing on digital and in-person outreach to capitalize on volunteers’ personal contacts.
Another key factor will be age, as the Emerson College survey shows Trump outperforming Biden among the youngest voters, with Trump topping the incumbent by nearly 2 percentage points, 45.2 percent to 42.9 percent. The former president also leads by around 11 points among 30-to-39-year-olds, 49.6 percent to 38.5 percent.
Due to the lapse in time since his election, Trump is likely benefiting from voters’ natural willingness to blame the incumbent for their current predicament — especially given how the incumbent Democrat has struggled to garner attention for positive economic news.
But there is some good news for Biden: he still has time.
