Public Opinion on Trump Unmoved by Hush Money Trial

A CNN data reporter has revealed that the ongoing hush money trial in New York City has had no significant impact on Americans' opinions of former President Trump. According to a Quinnipiac poll, 46% of respondents believe Trump did something illegal regarding payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels, the same percentage as during pre-opening statements.

CNN senior data reporter Harry Enten presented data on the network Wednesday, demonstrating that Americans' opinions on former President Trump have remained constant throughout his ongoing hush money trial in New York City. As closing arguments in the trial unfold, Enten cited a Quinnipiac poll indicating that after the prosecution examined Michael Cohen, 46% of respondents believed Trump had engaged in illegal behavior in relation to the payments made to Stormy Daniels, which is the same percentage as during the pre-opening statements.

Enten explained to CNN anchor John Berman that the lack of change in public opinion can be attributed to the fact that "most Americans don’t really care that much." When Berman asked about any changes in opinion over the "44 days" since jury selection began, Enten responded, "Simply put, John, they have not," referring to a graphic displaying Quinnipiac's poll results.

Enten highlighted that the percentage of Americans who believe the charges are very serious has slightly decreased from 40% to 35% during the trial. He also pointed out that while there may have been changes among the 12 jurors, there has been no noticeable shift in opinion among the general American public, at least up to this point.

When asked about the reasons for the stability in public opinion, Enten suggested that the trial has not garnered significant attention among the public due to distractions such as the ongoing focus on economic issues, immigration, and abortion.

"The fact is John, when we’re looking at these numbers, what we see is Americans’ minds aren’t changing, and a big reason why Americans’ minds aren’t changing is at this particular point, John, they are tuned out of the conversation," Enten said.

Enten's analysis suggests that while Trump's trial has received media coverage, it has not resonated with the public to the extent that it has altered their views on the former President. Public opinion on Trump remains largely unchanged, with approximately half of respondents believing he engaged in illegal activity related to the Stormy Daniels payments.