'Beyond the pale': Undecided voters tell New York Times they can't vote for a felon

Former President Donald Trump's felony conviction in New York has set off a flurry of speculation from political pundits and observers about what, if any, effect it will have on the electorate.

According to new interviews in a focus group conducted by GOP strategist Frank Luntz for The New York Times, at least some undecided voters are paying attention.

"All 11 participants in our Times Opinion focus group were swing voters: They had supported or been open to Hillary Clinton or Mr. Biden at least once in 2016, 2020 or 2024, and backed or considered Mr. Trump at least once in those years as well," said the report.

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"These voters all said they were struck by the verdict, even swayed in different ways, yet Mr. Trump’s guilt didn’t decisively turn them against the former president — a point that was Mr. Luntz’s biggest takeaway from the group. Inflation, the economy, immigration and abortion were the things that they said would ultimately determine their votes."

That being said, some of the voters were absolutely turned off the prospect of Trump by the guilty verdict in his hush money trial — or at least deeply confused about how this was even happening.

Hilary, a 55-year-old social worker from California, said that she wasn't excited for Biden and said she would need "a very stiff drink" after voting for him — however, "Mr. Trump was now beyond the pale, she said. 'I cannot have the president be a convicted felon. Full stop.'"

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Ben, a 42-year-old college adviser from Texas, said he was "Baffled. This whole situation is just so weird. A former president on trial? How did we get to this point?"

Logan, a 31-year-old lawyer from Oklahoma, called the ruling a win for democracy, saying, "I’m an attorney. Say what you want about the charging decision and the prosecutorial discretion of Alvin Bragg, but at the end of the day, 12 people in a box — and you never know what 12 people in a box are going to do — were able to come to a decision."

"If these voters are any indication, the guilty verdict will complicate Mr. Trump’s bid for the White House," said the report. "Character and integrity mattered for the presidency, and disgust with Mr. Trump could tip the scales for some of them in the end."

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