"Muddies the waters": N.C. focus group split over jailing Trump after conviction
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Trump arrives for his Las Vegas rally at Sunset Park on June 9. Photo: Brandon Bell/Getty Images
North Carolina swing voters are split over whether former President Trump should go to jail after his historic conviction on 34 felony counts in New York, according to our latest Engagious/Sago focus groups.
Why it matters: It's unlikely that Trump will receive a lengthy prison sentence, but some North Carolina swing voters fear jailing the presumptive GOP presidential nominee would cause chaos.
- "That's going to do nothing but make him a martyr for his cause or incite even more violence," said Michelle C., 55, of Candler, N.C., who is opposed to jailing Trump.
- "It's just going to do nothing but make his base more riled up and ready to go."
Driving the news: Six of the 12 North Carolina swing voters interviewed — who said they voted for Joe Biden in 2020 after voting for Trump in 2016 — said the former president should serve time in prison.
- "He committed a crime and he should pay the same time that any other American would have to pay in that same situation," said Lindsay M., 42, of Raleigh, N.C.
- Four of the North Carolina voters are registered Democrats, two are registered Republicans and six are independents.
- Trump is the first former U.S. president to be convicted. He faces a maximum prison sentence of four years for each offense, but as a first-time felon, it's unlikely he would receive the maximum sentence.
Zoom in: Kyle R., 38, of Charlotte, N.C., who said he is opposed to jailing Trump, said that he feared it could be "destructive to the cohesion of America and public opinion and it looks bad, even if it's just."
- "It muddies the waters, even more so than they already are," he said of jailing Trump.
- "North Carolina swing voters are split between wanting to incarcerate Trump and worrying about the political consequences of doing so," said Rich Thau, president of Engagious, who moderated the focus groups.
- While a focus group is not a statistically significant sample like a poll, the responses show how some voters are thinking and talking about current events.
State of play: Trump earlier this month said he is okay with the possibility of house arrest or jail time after his conviction but warned that it might be "tough for the public to take."
- Trump's sentencing in the New York criminal trial is scheduled for July 11, four days before the Republican National Convention.
Between the lines: Trump in the days after his historic conviction has suggested that he could seek retribution against political enemies if he's elected in November, language that was rejected by the 12 respondents.
- "This is a former president of the United States. He held the office for four years, let's not forget that," said Sean R., 46, of Hickory, N.C.
- "Him acting the way he is, the way he speaks, we're not the only country on this planet. Everyone else is listening and he's treating it like another episode of The Apprentice, and this is our future."
Go deeper: Poll: 49% of Independents think Trump should drop out post-guilty verdict
