NJ Residents Weigh In On Trump's Conviction: See Poll Results

NEW JERSEY — A day after history was made as Donald J. Trump became the first former president to ever be convicted of a crime, we asked New Jersey Patch readers for your thoughts on the case — and you delivered.

Patch's non-scientific survey received 3,671 responses as of Monday morning, with the opinion on the verdict essentially split: 50.1 percent of the respondents said they agree with the jury's guilty verdict in all 34 counts of in the New York "hush money" case and 47.4 said they did not agree. About 2 percent of the respondents said they were unsure.

The opinion was also split as to whether Trump should remain as the Republican nominee for president: 48.6 percent of those who responded said he should remain as the nominee for president, with 48.5 percent saying he should not. Nearly 3 percent said they were unsure.

He's slated to become the party's official nominee in July at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.

But most readers agreed on one thing — that the New York conviction won't sway their vote in November, with more than 78 percent of respondents saying the conviction will not impact the way they vote in November. Twenty percent said it will impact the way they vote, and just 1 percent were unsure.

Asked whether the three other criminal cases against Trump will change the way they vote on Nov. 5, more than 80 percent said no, and 81.6 percent said Trump's July sentencing — and whether he gets prison time — won't change things when they go to the polls.

Asked for their take on the "hush money" case, multiple readers simply responded, "Lock him up," a callback to Trump supporters' "lock her up" chant regarding his 2016 opponent, Hillary Clinton.

Several other Patch readers advocated for prison time for the former president, with one adding: "Justice has been served." Another said: "It is refreshing to see that regardless of your wealth all citizens are equal in the eyes of the law."

Several readers chimed in simply to pronounce Trump "guilty," with readers also saying, "No one is above the law." Others said they didn't plan to vote for him anyway — conviction or not.

"I would not vote for him under any circumstances," one reader said.

But some Patch readers steadfastly supported the former president, with several responding "Trump 2024" or "MAGA" in the comments. One reader said: "Dems can't win fairly so they will go to any length to remove/disqualify the opposition."

Another wrote: "I have no confidence in our justice system because they let their personal feelings be the judge. Whether you like Trump or not, you should be disgusted with the way the justice system abused it."

Many said they are unhappy with both candidates. "RNC should have picked another candidate. Mr Trump carries too much baggage and is a distraction to the process. Joe Biden is no better," one reader said. Another lamented they would be "Unhappily voting Democratic."

Trump is scheduled to be sentenced in the New York case on July 11