LIATHANO RAMIREZ
GRAPHIC DESIGNER
ALIVIA GILES
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
9/11/2023
On Aug. 14, former president, Donald Trump, and 18 others were indicted on charges of efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. While Trump has claimed to have gained support following the charges, a recent ABC News/Ispos poll indicates this is not true.
According to FiveThirtyEight, Trump’s rating did improve following his first indictment, but a poll conducted after the former president’s third indictment reveals Trump has seen no significant improvement. Following his fourth indictment, Trump’s support has remained unchanged.
According to the most recent ABC News/Ispos survey, 20% of Republicans believe Trump should suspend his presidential campaign with 15% of Republicans saying they believe he should have been charged in the Georgia indictment.
According to the poll, Trump’s rating remains at 31% favorable and 55% unfavorable. The former president has maintained his position as the favorite on the Republican side though, with an almost 40-point lead over Ron DeSantis.
The poll also indicates that 50% of adult Americans believe Trump should suspend his campaign. About a third of Americans do not believe that Trump should suspend his campaign, while the remainder are undecided.
Robert Thompson, Lecturer of Political Science at Alma College, believes young people could play a significant role in the upcoming presidential election, especially following the historic turnout in the 2020 presidential election.
“I imagine young people will have a big role in the upcoming election, although voters under the age of 25 are often less likely to vote than those in their 30s and 40s,” said Thompson. “Despite this, for 2020, voter turnout among younger voters was elevated.”
Aside from making sure to vote in elections, Thompson believes there are many ways students can get involved in politics at any level.
“[Students] can volunteer for a political party or a nonprofit. They can try to work on local, state or national elections—there are a lot of entry level jobs that one can do without experience to help the political party of your choice,” said Thompson.
“More than anything, they can become better informed,” said Thompson “Taking a political science class is a great beginning to turning yourself from a slightly informed voter, to one with a great set of filters you can use to discern good from bad information.”
Derick Hulme, Arthur L. Russell Professor of Political Science at Alma College, says Trump’s support among Independents has “eroded” following the charges.
“[This] will create significant challenges in a general election if he becomes the Republican presidential nominee,” said Hulme.
In recent years, Hulme has seen Alma College students become “increasingly aware of the importance of political issues both to their daily lives and to their future.”
“They have also taken a more active role in learning about critical issues and becoming involved in the political process, whether by voting, campaign or volunteering,” said Hulme.
Throughout their time as an Alma College student, Benji Schall (’24) has volunteered with Rise, an organization that encourages and helps young people to register to vote.
While Schall is dedicated to their volunteer work with Rise, they also want to encourage students to reach out to their government representatives, something they feel students may not be aware they are able to do.
“I don’t think a lot of young people realize how accessible their representatives [are], [how easy] it is to be able to talk to them and be heard,” said Schall.
“If we treat everyone as on the same level and not dismiss anyone as a ‘lost cause’ – even people who you feel are misguided – and [you] meet them in the middle, you can convince people that their voice matters.”
