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Michigan matters 'enormously' in November as voters process Trump verdict: political expert

Posted at 10:57 PM, May 30, 2024

WATERFORD TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) — No matter where you fall on the political spectrum — left, right, undecided or indifferent — University of Michigan political science professor Ken Kollman said the state of Michigan matters enormously this November.

7 News Detroit also spoke with folks with varying viewpoints about the verdict in the trial against former President Donald Trump.

Morasha Malik said, "I already had my mind made up before the trial even happened. So, it doesn’t really affect my vote.”

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She said she wasn’t going to vote for Trump, but she also doesn’t believe in the U.S. political system to begin with.

Kelly Rose is a Trump supporter. We informed her about the verdict.

“Absurd. I think it’s ridiculous. I just can’t believe it. I’m kind of lost for words. I feel bad for the guy, really to be honest with you," Rose said.

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Malik said, “I don’t really get too heavy into the politics because I don’t even believe that there’s really a Democratic Party and a Republican Party. I think that it’s definitely rigged and no matter how we vote, the bar is already set how things are gonna be.”

When asked if the verdict changes or sways her vote one way or the other looking toward November, Rose explained, "Honestly, no. It really doesn’t. I’m 100% Trump. I will, bye bye, Biden.

"I pray and hope. But no, I will always be a Trump supporter.”

VIDEO: Reactions to Trump's guilty verdict mixed in Macomb County

Reactions to Trump's guilty verdict mixed in Macomb County

Kollman said a vast majority of people who vote regularly have already made up their minds of whether they're voting for former Trump, President Joe Biden or otherwise.

He explained, “Your question is a hard one, which is 'How big is the slice of the electorate that is still genuinely conflicted between these two people, these two men?'”

Ken Kollman

Kollman said there’s a sizable portion of the electorate that are unhappy that they have these two choices.

“The question is, is that going to affect "at the margin turnout" for Trump or people with less enthusiasm, maybe, for turning out who maybe lean Trump's way. Again, we don’t know. We can’t know but a very tight election," he explained.

The professor also said small little slithers of the electorate are going to matter.