'Completely unfit': Republican focus group turns on Trump over felony conviction

Former President Donald Trump's criminal conviction in Manhattan has already shown signs of impact among voters, with a focus group from The New York Times revealing swing voters' discomfort at the prospect of backing a convicted felon.

Now, another focus group by longtime GOP strategist Sarah Longwell is showing some similar results, according to The Atlantic.

"Many of the voters in this group had familiar stories: They supported Trump in the past as 'the lesser evil.' They couldn’t stomach Hillary Clinton in 2016. They were lifelong Republicans who couldn’t imagine voting for a Democrat. Some of them remember watching The Apprentice and admiring Trump for his perceived business savvy," wrote Longwell. "But the events of January 6 and general fatigue with Trump’s antics have made these voters 'not very likely' or 'not at all likely' to vote for him again in 2024."

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And for many of them, a felony conviction was yet another step too far.

“I want criminals to go to jail,” said Michele, a voter from Florida, adding she also wanted a conviction for Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey. “I’m tired of the nonsense, and I believed the testimony. And that is why I am happy that the jury found him guilty. And I think now that he is a convicted felon, he’s completely unfit.”

Many of the voters were not fans of President Joe Biden, but saw him as the only option. “I don’t like Mr. Biden because I’m concerned about his age," said Chuck, a voter from Ohio. "He may die in office and I think his vice president is not someone I want in the Oval Office either. But between the president and vice president, they’re still both better than Mr. Trump.”

Focus groups are not considered representative samples of a voting population, but are often used to highlight what certain cross-sections of voters might be thinking, and the type of messaging that candidates could use effectively.