A recent poll of Tennessee residents found that voters are looking upon Donald Trump’s recent felony conviction in a New York court favorably.
The poll found that more voters are now more likely to support him following the conviction than not, pushing his lead in Tennessee even further over Joe Biden.
Tennessee Poll
This latest poll released Monday shows that 34% of Tennesseans are now more likely to vote for Trump in the general election after his guilty verdict of 34 felony counts.
The poll, conducted by the Beacon Center for Tennesse, found that only 22% of Tennessee residents were less likely to vote for Trump following his felony convictions.
Politically Motivated
Trump has asserted that the reason for his conviction is a political persecution carried out by prosecutors and his political enemies.
In April, Trump said that the trial against him is an “assault on America” and a “political persecution like never before.”
What Do Tennessee Residents Think?
The majority of Tenessee residents surveyed agreed with the former President’s assessment of the trial.
57% of Tennesse residents believe the trial against Trump was politically motivated compared to only 32% who did not believe this. However, despite this, around an equal amount of respondents believe that he committed the crimes he was accused of as those who disbelieve.
Trump’s Innocence
Despite Trump’s lead growing over Biden, Tennessee residents’ beliefs are split on Trump’s innocence.
38% of poll respondents said that he’s guilty of a felony while 41% said that they believe he is not guilty.
Committing Felonies
Beacon spokesperson Mark Cunningham described the dynamic of the Tennesse respondents in the poll who both believe the trial was a political one and that Trump did the deed.
“A substantial percentage of Tennesseans believe that the charges were political but also believe he did commit a felony,” said Cunningham.
Poll Methodology
Beacon, the group that released the poll, is a conservative think tank. They polled Tennessee residents between June 20 and July 1, meaning this poll doesn’t reflect the recent attempt on Trump’s life at a political rally.
The poll has a margin of plus or minus 2.7 percentage points.
Leading in Tennesse
In this latest poll, Trump is now leading Biden by 30 points in the state among likely voters.
Trump commands 58% of the vote, with Biden possessing 28% and RFK Jr. coming in at 5%.
Taking RFK Jr’s Support
Cunningham attributed some of Trump’s rise in support coming from defections among the voter base from independent candidate RFK Jr.
“While some voters who say they are more likely to vote for Trump after the conviction were already Trump voters, it’s clear that Trump did gain a number of voters since the last poll, with the lion’s share defecting from Robert F. Kennedy, Jr,” said Cunningham.
Reaction Online
On social media, users had various reactions to the news that a felony conviction of a former President was actually helping him in the polls instead of hurting him.
“Well, we are in the bottom 5% in education,” said X user Dirk Langford.
Clearly Political
Other users affirmed their belief that the prosecution of Donald Trump in the courts was born of political influence and motivation ahead of the November election.
“What boosted his popularity was, that the conviction was clearly politically motivated,” said one X user.
Tennessee Felons Struggling
One commenter lamented the irony in supporting Donald Trump as a felon while the state has its own problems supporting and helping its own felons.
“Meanwhile, felons in Tennessee struggle to secure housing, work, and are denied the right to vote,” said an X user.
