SAGINAW COUNTY, Mich. — Trump hit the trail yesterday to hold a pair of campaign rallies for the first time since his hush money trial began. He ended the day in Saginaw County, a swing county in battleground Michigan that President Joe Biden flipped by just over 300 votes in 2020.
While voters there said they were paying attention to the first criminal trial of a U.S. president, most who spoke to NBC News said they were more concerned about other issues.
“I hear more comments about the cost of groceries than I do about the trial against Donald Trump right now,” said Chris Graebner, owner of Riverside Family Restaurant, a Saginaw County staple.
Graebner, who voted for Trump in 2016 and 2020, says she plans to vote for the Republican candidate again — albeit not as enthusiastically. She also said the outcome of this trial could sway her vote.
“It seems incomprehensible to vote for somebody that was convicted of a crime,” she said.
Dedicated Trump voters echoed the former president’s opinion that the trial is politically motivated — and think it will turn his supporters out in November.
“It’s just a farce as far as I’m concerned,” said Bruce Lewenberger. “He’s being treated unfairly with a two-tiered system.”
Voters who don’t support Trump or are undecided seemed less sure about the trial’s impact on the election.
“I don’t think anything will come of it. He just wiggles out of everything,” said MaryLou Agdanowski. “I wish we were focused more on gun control. I see our democracy is in trouble. I do, I think it’s in jeopardy.”
Deb Christie agreed, but added, “I would hold somebody who’s a presidential candidate up to a higher level.”
Across Riverside Family Restaurant, Danielle Schmitzer, an owner of a local dance studio, echoed those sentiments.
“I don’t think that it’s going to disqualify any candidates,” she said. “I’m more concerned with the other things for our country, such as war and border control and our abortion issues.”
