– A group of House lawmakers is in Taiwan this week meeting with its newly elected officials, despite warnings from China to stay out of the region and as Beijing ramps up its military drills around the island.

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul, R-Texas, is leading the multi-day diplomatic trip, which is coming a week after President Lai Ching-te and his deputies took office with a defiant speech emphasizing Taiwan’s independence from Beijing’s ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

‘Leading this historic and bipartisan CODEL to Taiwan — the first U.S. congressional delegation to meet with the newly elected Taiwan officials — sends a signal to the Chinese Communist Party that the United States stands with the people of Taiwan and will work to maintain the status quo across the Taiwan Straight,’ McCaul told Fox News Digital. ‘I look forward to meeting senior Taiwan leaders and members of civil society to continue strengthening our bilateral relationship on all fronts.’

The bipartisan group also includes Rep. Young Kim, R-Calif., the panel’s subcommittee chair for the Indo-Pacific, along with Reps. Andy Barr, R-Ky., Jimmy Panetta, D-Calif., Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa., and Joe Wilson, R-S.C.

Panetta told Fox News Digital the trip sent a critical pro-democracy message throughout the globe.

‘Democracies around the world must stand together in defense of our shared values and freedoms,’ Panetta said. ‘This bipartisan delegation to Taiwan is a demonstration of that necessary partnership. I look forward to congratulating President Lai Ching-te on his recent inauguration and continuing to strengthen the bonds between our two nations with an eye toward the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead in the region.’

China’s military, meanwhile, has been exercising a menacing show of force in drills involving ‘sea assaults, land strikes, air defense and anti-submarine in the airspace and waters to the north and south of Taiwan Island,’ Beijing’s Defense Ministry said Thursday.

Beijing’s Defense Ministry said the drills included ‘joint seizure of comprehensive battlefield control, and joint precision strikes on key targets’ and were ‘a strong punishment for the separatist acts of ‘Taiwan independence’ forces and a stern warning against the interference and provocation by external forces.’

The Taiwanese Defense Ministry said it had tracked 49 Chinese military planes and 19 of China’s Navy ships operating around the Island on Friday. It blasted China’s drills as an ‘irrational provocation.’

In his inaugural speech, Taiwan’s President Lai said he sought to ‘neither yield nor provoke’ Beijing but pledged to stand firm against China’s encroachment.

The Chinese government has rebuked the new leader, and a top CCP official issued a direct warning to U.S. lawmakers not to meet with him or other Taiwanese government officials.

‘Any visit by congressional members to Taiwan will seriously violate the one-China principle . . . interfere in China’s internal affairs, undermine China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and send a seriously wrong signal to ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist forces,’ Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said late last week.

Wenbin called on the U.S. to stop official diplomatic communications with Taiwan, ‘Otherwise, all consequences arising therefrom must be borne by the U.S.’

Editor’s note: This is the third in a series of profiles of potential running mates for presidential candidate Donald Trump on the 2024 Republican Party ticket.

A potential name on former President Trump’s running mate shortlist is being described by political insiders as a ‘powerhouse’ that could bring a major boost to his chances at retaking the White House.

The horse race among those hoping to be named Trump’s running mate continued this week with the names widely believed to be on the shortlist making the rounds on various media outlets and at public events to praise the former president, including House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik of New York, who some say has a certain ‘attractiveness’ for the role.

‘Stefanik’s position as the fourth-ranking member of the House leadership provides valuable insight into navigating Capitol Hill, which Trump is not known for loving. Historically, Capitol Hill has served as a fertile ground for VP candidates,’ Republican strategist Erine Perrine told Fox News Digital.

Perrine praised Stefanik as ‘a prolific fundraiser,’ which she said could strengthen the campaign’s financial standing heading into the final stretch of the race, and argued her loyalty to the former president would help ensure cohesion among Republicans.

‘Stefanik’s presence also mitigates Democratic attacks on women’s issues,’ she said, alluding to Democrats’ attempts to make abortion a major factor in the race. ‘Her selection would bring a youthful and dynamic image for the Republican Party to help bolster the ticket.’

‘Stefanik built a reputation as a powerhouse in committee hearings, most recently highlighted by her questioning of university presidents. These strengths enhance her credibility and effectiveness as a campaigner,’ she added.

Republican strategist David Polyansky agreed, noting Stefanik, during her time in House leadership, has driven a number of critical fights, and did so despite the turmoil surrounding the role of House speaker.

‘She’s done a very effective job at elevating her profile, which is hard to do, not just from the House, but even from a House leadership standpoint,’ he said. ‘I think she’d be attractive to some of the large donor blocks who may be tentative in terms of how much money they invest.’

‘Having a female vice presidential pick is something I think would be attractive to the party, attractive to donors, attractive from a narrative standpoint. Outside of her gender, she’s a very strong conservative leader, so I think there’s some real value there for Trump,’ he added.

A source close to the Trump campaign also said Stefanik being a woman would be a ‘real positive,’ and that it was ‘a really big deal’ to the former president that she has been a ‘staunch supporter.’

‘I think she would be a very interesting pick. I think out on the campaign trail she would be very effective. I think she would be a net positive to the campaign,’ the source said.

Eric Koch, a Democrat strategist, gave a more critical view of Stefanik’s strengths for the Republican ticket.

‘The positive Elise Stefanik brings to a Trump ticket is obvious: she is willing to say and do anything to defend Donald Trump, no matter how absurd, ridiculous or embarrassing it may be,’ he said. 

‘There is quite literally no low that is too low for her — and this is a quality that Donald Trump not only needs, but demands, from his Vice President. Stefanik will gleefully debase herself in any way in support of Trump.’

Koch said two downsides to Stefanik’s selection, aside from the usual criticism from his party that she is ‘ultra MAGA,’ was that she ‘had almost no accomplishments,’ and that she ‘crumbles in debates and interviews’ when pressed on topics.

One such instance occurred last week on Fox News when Stefanik was pressed by host Shannon Bream about a New York Times report questioning her loyalty to Trump over the years.

‘If Trump was trying to win voters in the middle, there is hardly someone worse he could pick than Stefanik who carries water for the most extreme elements of the House Republicans,’ Koch said.

Perrine, like Koch, said the liberal media and others on the left would likely label her a ‘MAGA extremist,’ but also noted the ‘limited’ impact her selection could have on the electoral map, considering she is from deep-blue New York.

‘Losing her leadership role in the House could disrupt GOP cohesion,’ Perrine added.

Polyansky argued that elevating someone straight from the House into being the first person in the presidential line of succession was ‘a little bit of a stretch.’ He also argued her name recognition could be a problem.

‘She isn’t really well known, even in the base of the Republican Party, so I don’t know that there would be a massive wow factor, which could be major for Trump. I’m not sure that she necessarily gives him that.’

The source close to the Trump campaign agreed it would be ‘difficult’ for Stefanik’s name recognition alone to provide a big bump, but said that could be built up over time.

Stefanik’s office declined to comment for this story, but a source close to her told Fox that her flipping, and holding, a formerly Democrat-controlled district in New York was part of her appeal compared to the other potential names on Trump’s shortlist.

The source noted that Stefanik had more experience on Capitol Hill than Vice President Kamala Harris, and that she could have an immediate impact on implementing Trump’s legislative agenda if selected. 

They also argued that, as a young mom, she has been a strong supporter of IVF and a 15-week abortion ban, rather than the 6-week ban being pushed by other Republicans, a direct counter to Democrats’ focus on abortion.

A number of other big names have also been floated to join Trump on the Republican ticket, including South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, Arkansas Gov. Sarah Sanders, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, Ohio Sen. JD Vance and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio.

Trump, who spent most of his week sitting on trial in a New York City courtroom while President Biden and Harris are free to hit the campaign trail, is still weighing his running mate options. He suggested earlier this month he might even wait until the July Republican National Convention in Milwaukee to name his pick.

Former President Trump on Saturday vowed to commute the prison sentence of Ross Ulbricht, the founder of the online drug-selling site Silk Road. 

The GOP frontrunner made the pledge while addressing the Libertarian National Convention in Washington, D.C., in a bid to win over skeptical party activists, many of whom held up signs that read: ‘FREE ROSS.’ 

‘If you vote for me, on day one I will commute the sentence of Ross Ulbricht, to a sentence of time served,’ Trump said, winning the largest cheers of the night. ‘He’s already served 11 years. We’re going to get him home.’ 

During his presidency, Trump considered intervening to release Ulbricht, but ultimately decided against the pardon. 

Ulbricht, now 40, was sentenced in 2015 to life in prison by a judge who cited six deaths that resulted from drugs bought on his website and five people he tried to have killed. 

Ulbricht operated the website between 2011 and 2013, when he was arrested. 

Trump also pledged that he would protect cryptocurrencies by stopping President Biden’s ‘crusade to crush crypto.’ 

‘We’re going to stop it. I will ensure that the future of crypto and the future of Bitcoin will be made in the USA, not driven overseas,’ Trump said. ‘I will support the right of self-custody. To the nation’s 50 million crypto holders, I say this: with your vote, I will keep [Senator] Elizabeth Warren and her goons away from your bitcoin. And I will never allow the creation of a central bank digital currency.’ 

Trump’s appearance was part of an ongoing effort to reach would-be supporters in places that are not heavily Republican. 

Independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. addressed the convention on Friday. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Donald Trump addressed the Libertarians’ National Convention on Saturday night in an effort to win over activists who are skeptical of the GOP frontrunner, and turn them away from independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

The Libertarian National Convention is being held at the Washington Hilton hotel through Sunday with the tagline: ‘Become Ungovernable.’ 

The former president addressed a rowdy crowd, seemingly split 50-50 between his supporters and Libertarian skeptics. 

Trump tried to win over the crowd, saying: ‘In the last year, I’ve been indicted by the government on 91 different things. So if I wasn’t a libertarian before, I sure as hell am a Libertarian now.’ 

To win over the Libertarians, Trump said he would release ‘limited government so that the people can have an unlimited future.’ He promised that ‘United we will be unstoppable. If we unite, we are unstoppable.’

At times Trump mocked the Libertarians in the audience telling them: ‘Only endorse me if you want to win.’ 

‘If you want to lose, don’t do that. Keep getting your 3% every four years,’ Trump said, before pledging to include a Libertarian in his cabinet.  

Trump later promised to commute the sentence of Ross Ulbrict, the founder of the darknet marketplace Silk Road who was arrested in 2013 and remains in prison. 

Trump’s campaign said his appearance is part of an ongoing effort to reach would-be supporters in places that are not heavily Republican. For example, he held a rally Thursday in the Bronx during a pause in his New York hush money trial. His team was expecting some at the convention to oppose Trump, but hopes he will get credit for showing up and fighting for votes.

Libertarians will pick their White House nominee during the gathering in Washington that wraps up Sunday. Kennedy, who initially ran in the Democratic primary, addressed the convention Friday.

A significant number of attendees wore MAGA hats. The convention was dotted with booths promoting mutual aid organizations, Libertarian comic books, Libertarian-themed food and drinks. Another stall sold T-shirts that said: ‘F— the vaccine.’ 

The Libertarian Party has routinely invited both Republican and Democratic candidates to speak but this weekend marked the first time that an invite has been accepted. 

Tensions remained high leading up to Trump’s appearance. Supporters of the president showed up to the convention as the doors opened and took over areas reserved for Libertarian delegates – prompting Libertarian Party National Chair Angela McArdle to plead for civility. 

One attendee, retired attorney William Yeniscavich, walked between aisles handing out signs reading ‘FREE ROSS,’ a reference to Ross Ulbricht.

During his presidency, Trump considered intervening to release Ulbricht but ultimately decided against the pardon. 

Polls have shown for months that most voters, even a majority of Democrats, do not want a 2020 rematch between Trump and Democratic President Joe Biden. That dynamic could potentially boost support for an alternative like the Libertarian nominee or Kennedy, whose candidacy has allies of Biden and Trump concerned that he could be a spoiler.

One attendee told Fox News Digital that the party ‘is kind of fragmented.’ 

‘Some are furious, they don’t want Republicrats to be involved in the party,’ he said. ‘Another faction thinks it’s important for the press to have eyes on the Libertarian Party and discuss some grievances like ballot access.’

Tiffany Cianci, a pre-K music instructor and political TikTok creator, was attending the event to record the speech for her online followers. She told Fox News Digital that there was a distinct chance of disruption from the crowd during Trump’s speech.

Hundreds of attendees have been seen carrying rubber chickens capable of loud, sustained noise.'[American Values 2024] had the idea, then regular convention goers started buying a bunch of them, and they all started showing up,’ she said.

‘They’re not here to stop him from speaking, but they are here to let him know they feel very strongly that it’s an act of cowardice to avoid debating candidates and giving Americans choices.’

Seated in the front row was Manga Anantatamul, the Republican candidate for the 10th District of Virginia. Endorsed by the MAGA Caucus, she said was there to see Trump specifically. 

‘I think their fiscal conservativism is the best thing — small government,’ Anantatamul told Fox News Digital. ‘Those are some of the values we have to work with the Libertarians on.’

Before Trump began speaking, Libertarian delegates endorsed a variety of topics they hoped he would address including calls to liberate imprisoned WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and promote ‘peace not war.’ Other topics they wanted to hear about overlapped with more traditional Republican rallying cries including ‘abolish the deep state’ and ‘defend the Second Amendment.’

Trump previously praised Kennedy and once considered him for a commission on vaccination safety, but has changed his tone now. He suggested on social media that a vote for Kennedy would be a ‘wasted protest vote’ and that he would ‘even take Biden over Junior.’

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Hillary Clinton had some tough words for her fellow Democrats for their failure to protect abortion rights in the years leading up to Roe v. Wade being overturned by the Supreme Court. 

In an interview with The New York Times, Clinton, 76, discussed her forthcoming book, ‘The Fall of Roe: The Rise of a New America’ and what she believed a second Trump administration will look like. 

The former Democratic presidential candidate accused her party of being too complacent by underestimating the formidable strength of the pro-life movement in the lead-up to the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, when the Supreme Court overturned nearly 50 years of legalized abortion at the federal level. 

‘We didn’t take it seriously, and we didn’t understand the threat,’ Clinton said. ‘Most Democrats, most Americans, did not realize we are in an existential struggle for the future of this country.’

Clinton argued that Democrats failed to pass legislation codifying abortion rights into federal law — even when they controlled the Senate — because they could not fathom that abortion rights would ever be at risk. 

Clinton said she gave the right credit for never giving up. She lamented that Democrats lacked the organization and funding for institutions like The Federalist Society to counter the right’s influence.  

‘[The right is] relentless. You know, they take a loss, they get back up, they regroup, they raise more money,’ Clinton said. ‘It’s tremendously impressive the way that they operate. And we have nothing like it on our side.’ 

Clinton said she was dismissed as alarmist when she predicted in 2016, that a Trump presidency would lead to abortion rights being overturned. She predicted that many would dismiss her again this election cycle, which she described as ‘existential.’ 

‘I mean, if we don’t make the right decision in this election in our country, we may never have another actual election,’ Clinton said. ‘I will put that out there because I believe it. And if we no longer have another actual election, we will be governed by a small minority of right-wing forces that are well organized and well-funded and are getting exactly what they want in terms of turning the clock back on women.’

The interview’s publication comes days after former President Trump said he ‘will never advocate imposing restrictions on birth control,’ and vowed to ensure the Republican Party would not support a ban on any contraceptives. 

Last month, the GOP hopeful emphasized his support for states determining their own laws for abortion so long as there are exceptions for rape, incest, and the life of the mother. He also affirmed his support for in vitro fertilization. 

He qualified that Republicans ‘should always be on the side of the miracle of life and the side of mothers, fathers and their beautiful babies.’ 

President Biden and his re-election campaign have alleged that Trump will support a nationwide abortion ban and put restrictions on contraception. 

The latest Fox News Poll shows that the issue of abortion is the biggest single issue among self-described Democrats (24%), suburban women (24%), self-described very liberals (23%), Black voters (17%), those with a college degree (17%), and voters under age 30 (16%). 

Fox News Digital’s Brooke Singman contributed to this report.

EcoHealth Alliance – the disgraced research firm accused of using taxpayer funds to conduct gain-of-function research at the Wuhan lab before the COVID-19 pandemic began – received nearly $100 million from the federal government over the past decade and a half.

From FY 2008 to FY 2024, the U.S. government provided EcoHealth Alliance an estimated $94.3 million in taxpayer funds through contracts, grants, direct payments, loans and other financial assistance, according to a Fox News Digital review of government spending data provided by USAspending.gov.

Fox News Digital reported last year that millions of dollars in federal research grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) were awarded to the nonprofit to study bat coronaviruses in China. The Department of Health and Human Services inspector general released a 64-page report in January 2023 that found NIH did not adequately follow its policies and procedures with respect to three grants to EcoHealth Alliance between 2014 and 2021, totaling about $8 million.

As for the total number of taxpayer dollars given by the federal government to EcoHealth Alliance since the start of the pandemic, Dr. Richard Ebright, a molecular biologist at Rutgers University and a harsh critic of NIH, placed the number at upwards of $50 million.

‘The U.S.-government has provided more than $50 million to EcoHealth just since the start of the pandemic, with most of that $50 million earmarked for the same kinds of reckless virus discovery and virus enhancement research that likely caused pandemic,’ Ebright said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

Government agencies who gave the most funding to EcoHealth, according to Ebright, are the United States Agency for International Development, the Department of Defense and NIH.

Last week, the Department of Health and Human Services implemented an immediate, government-wide suspension of all funds allocated to EcoHealth.

HHS made the decision, citing evidence included in the House COVID Select Subcommittee’s staff-level report on the nonprofit. According to HHS, EcoHealth willfully violated the terms of a multimillion-dollar NIH grant. 

At the time, a spokesperson for EcoHealth Alliance told Fox News Digital that it was ‘disappointed by HHS’ decision.’

‘We disagree strongly with the decision and will present evidence to refute each of these allegations and to show that NIH’s continued support of EcoHealth Alliance is in the public interest,’ the spokesperson told Fox News Digital.

That comment came prior to a decision by HHS to commence formal debarment proceedings against Dr. Peter Daszak, the president of EcoHealth Alliance, earlier this week.

In a Tuesday letter to Daszak, a suspension and debarment official for HHS wrote, ‘This is to provide notification that, on behalf of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, I have suspended you and proposed you for debarment, related to your respective roles as the President of EcoHealth Alliance, Inc. and as Program Director/Principal Investigator on the National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease … from participating in United States Federal Government procurement and nonprocurement programs.’

In an action referral memorandum, which cited several examples of EcoHealth’s failure to comply with certain grant procedures, the same official wrote, ‘I find that the information in the record constitutes adequate evidence to demonstrate that the immediate suspension of Dr. Peter Daszak is necessary to protect the public interest provided his role as the President of EHA . . . .’

The memorandum also pointed to EHA’s work with the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) as a reason for the proposal of debarment proceedings against Daszak.

A review of EcoHealth’s work, submitted two years late on August 3, 2021, showed that work at the Wuhan Institute ‘had possibly yielded a greater’ increase in viral activity, ‘in violation of the terms of the grant,’ the memorandum said.

Following the commencement of debarment proceedings, an EcoHealth Alliance spokesperson told Fox News that the U.S.-based nonprofit ‘did not support ‘gain-of-function’ research at WIV’ and that any ‘assertions to the contrary are based either on misinterpretation, or willful misrepresentation of the actual research conducted.’

‘Because the SARS-related research conducted by EcoHealth Alliance and the Wuhan Institute of Virology dealt with bat coronaviruses that had never been shown to infect people, let alone cause significant morbidity and/or mortality in humans, by definition it was not gain-of-function research,’ the spokesperson added. ‘The fact is that the bat coronavirus research conducted by EcoHealth Alliance and the Wuhan Institute of Virology could not have started the COVID-19 pandemic.’

Former President Donald Trump is whittling down his list of potential running mates, and one lawmaker is moving up, according to a report from The New York Times.

Sources close to Trump claim Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas is quickly becoming a top contender for the role, according to a Friday report from the outlet.

The three sources — who remained unnamed in the report — said Trump values Cotton’s reliability and clear communication of policy.

Trump has kept his vice-presidential machinations close to his chest since the beginning of the 2024 campaign, offering a variety of names at different points in time. Cotton has been similarly unwilling to confirm or deny any rumors about his prospects in a hypothetical second Trump administration.

‘I suspect only Donald Trump knows who is really on his short list,’ the senator told Fox News on Monday. 

He continued, ‘When we do talk, we talk about what it’s going to take to win this election in November — to elect President Trump to another term in the White House and elect a Republican Congress, so we can begin to repair the damage that Joe Biden’s presidency has inflicted on this country.’

Many former foes and rivals of Trump now stand as key vice-presidential hopefuls, including Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, and former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum. Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio is another name that has been circulated.

The campaign recently stated that former primary opponent Nikki Haley, a onetime South Carolina governor and former UN ambassador, is not under consideration.

Trump’s final selection will likely not be confirmed until the Republican National Convention in July.

Fox News Digital’s Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.

With closing arguments in former President Trump’s criminal trial scheduled for early in the week ahead, a pending verdict in the historic case could have serious consequences in the 2024 election between the former president and President Biden.

Trump holds the slight edge right now both in national polling and in public opinion surveys in most of the crucial battleground states that will likely decide their election rematch.

However, Trump could potentially be convicted on some or all of the nearly three-dozen state felony charges he faces in his trial in New York City, which is the first in the nation’s history for a former or current president.

Veteran Democratic pollster Chris Anderson told Fox News that he did not think ‘a guilty verdict would fundamentally change the landscape of the race.’ Longtime Republican pollster Neil Newhouse went even further, arguing that a Trump conviction ‘is unlikely to make any difference.’

Both pointed to the fact that ‘attitudes are so set in concrete’ regarding both the Republican former president and his Democratic successor in the White House.

Trump is charged with falsifying business records in relation to payments during the 2016 election that he made to Stormy Daniels to keep quiet about his alleged affair with the adult film actress. Trump’s former attorney, Michael Cohen, paid Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, $130,000 in return for her silence about allegations of an affair with Trump in 2006.

Both Cohen and Daniels testified for the prosecution and were grilled by Trump’s attorneys during cross-examination in a case that has grabbed tons of attention on the cable news networks, online and on social media.

The former president has repeatedly denied falsifying business records as well as the alleged sexual encounter with Daniels, and he has repeatedly claimed, without providing evidence, that the case is a ‘SHAM TRIAL instigated and prosecuted directly from the inner halls of the White House and DOJ.’

Trump has also been fined a couple of times, and threatened with jail, by the judge in the case for violating a gag order aimed at protecting witnesses and jurors from the former president’s verbal attacks.

According to a Fox News national poll conducted earlier this month, nearly half of registered voters questioned said Trump had done something illegal when it comes to violations of campaign finance laws, with another quarter saying he had done something unethical. 

Only 27% said the former president had done nothing seriously wrong. However, that number jumped to 54% among Trump supporters.

That same survey indicated that voters were roughly divided on whether Trump’s legal treatment was fair (51%) or unfair (47%). There was an expected extremely wide partisan divide, with nine out of 10 Democrats saying the former president’s treatment was fair and 85% of Republicans disagreeing.

Would a Trump guilty verdict dramatically alter the current state of play in the presidential showdown?

A handful of recent national polls suggest the answer is not really.

Among them, 62% of registered voters questioned in a Quinnipiac University survey said a guilty verdict would make no difference to their vote for president. Fifteen percent said it would make them more likely to cast a ballot for Trump, and 21% said it would make them less likely to vote for the former president.

Additionally, eight out of 10 Trump supporters surveyed in an ABC News/Ipsos national poll said they would still back the presumptive GOP presidential nominee if he was found guilty in court. Sixteen percent said they would reconsider their support, and 4% said they would no longer back Trump.

Anderson, a member of the Fox News Election Decision Team and the Democratic partner on the Fox News Poll, compared a potential guilty verdict to the infamous video that briefly damaged Trump’s chances of winning the 2016 presidential election. 

‘We might see an ‘Access Hollywood’ type slump in Trump’s poll numbers, where some of his less devoted supporters sour on him temporarily, but then by November it will seem forgivable,’ Anderson said. ‘ So I don’t think a guilty verdict would fundamentally change the landscape of the race, but it will certainly be a new contour that could be meaningful in a close race.’

Newhouse, who served as a pollster on four Republican presidential campaigns and is a co-founder of the political survey and polling firm Public Opinion Strategies, highlighted that ‘attitudes are so set in concrete regarding both President Biden and former President Trump that a guilty verdict in the hush money is unlikely to make any difference at all on the presidential ballot.’ 

‘Those who back Trump believe this is nothing more than a political witch hunt, while those who oppose him came to a guilty verdict before the trial ever began,’ he emphasized.

However, Anderson spotlighted that the history-making trial would have an impact.

‘Regardless of the verdict, this trial clearly isn’t what Trump wants to be dealing with right now and has not helped him,’ Anderson said. ‘What might help him is a not guilty verdict that will allow him to claim vindication. But even then, it’s a real stretch to imagine it becomes a net positive for him.’