LATEST UPDATE: A jury has found former President Donald Trump guilty of felony charges for falsifying business records in an effort to keep information from voters ahead of the 2016 election.
(NewsNation) — As the jury continues to deliberate in the New York hush money trial of former President Donald Trump, what ripple effect a conviction could have on his chances in November’s election remains largely unknown.
However, a recent poll conducted by the Marquette Law School finds that if Trump is convicted on 34 criminal charges, President Joe Biden would win November’s general election by a margin of 44% to 39%.
However, the same poll found that if Trump is acquitted by the jury, he would win the race for the White House by a margin of 44% to 38%.
Trump has maintained his innocence throughout the trial, calling the New York City proceedings a witch hunt. Trump has spoken daily, saying that the whole trial is “rigged.”
“This is a very sad day for America,” Trump said on his way to the courtroom Thursday. “The whole world is watching, and it’s a very sad day for New York.”
With just 159 days remaining before the Nov. 5 general election, Biden and Trump remain in what some consider a dead heat. Recent polls show that Trump leads Biden in five of six key battleground states, including Wisconsin, Nevada, Arizona, Georgia and Pennsylvania.
Biden has not spoken publicly about the Trump trial but is scheduled to debate the former president in a televised debate on CNN. His campaign sent actor Robert De Niro to New York to speak on behalf of Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
Reports indicate that Biden could break his silence once the jury returns with a verdict, but NewsNation has been unable to confirm those reports.
In the past, Trump has seen bumps in support from his base when connected to controversies. At least for now, the ongoing criminal case against him appears to be no different.
A recent poll shows that 61% of likely voters indicated that a Trump conviction would not affect their vote in November.
Meanwhile, 11% of respondents said that they would be more likely to vote for the former president should the jury return a guilty finding. Twenty-one percent of voters responded, however, that they would be less likely to cast a ballot for Trump if convicted.