{"id":1956775,"date":"2023-06-25T19:34:02","date_gmt":"2023-06-25T23:34:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/analysis-biden-trump-scandals-freeze-politics-as-voters-worry-over-democracys-future\/"},"modified":"2023-06-25T19:36:35","modified_gmt":"2023-06-25T23:36:35","slug":"analysis-biden-trump-scandals-freeze-politics-as-voters-worry-over-democracys-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/analysis-biden-trump-scandals-freeze-politics-as-voters-worry-over-democracys-future\/","title":{"rendered":"Biden and Trump scandals halt politics as voters fear for democracy&#8217;s future."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fanalysis-biden-trump-scandals-freeze-politics-as-voters-worry-over-democracys-future%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1956775&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div class=\"post_content\">\n<div class=\"aplayer_app\" data-source=\"https:\/\/vs1.youmaker.com\/assets\/2023\/0625\/b9815828-be38-4b58-8bf6-fa3d54348309\/audio.mp3?length=11762829&#038;duration=980\"><\/div>\n<\/p>\n<p>Even after being indicted in two separate criminal cases, former President Donald Trump has maintained a commanding lead over his Republican rivals in national polls of registered voters.<\/p>\n<p>But those same polls are showing that if Trump were to run head-to-head against the presumed 2024 Democratic nominee, President Joe Biden, the two candidates would be in a statistical dead heat.<\/p>\n<p>Although much could change between now and the presidential election, political insiders and analysts told The Epoch Times that current polling provides valuable insights into how the 2024 contest is taking shape.<\/p>\n<p>They also say this election campaign already has secured a prominent place in U.S. history. Both major parties\u2019 leading candidates are embroiled in unprecedented controversies, reducing the visibility of their primary election challengers.<\/p>\n<p>Those simmering scandals will ultimately affect not only polling but also could greatly influence who wins the 2024 election. Many voters believe the result will prove pivotal for the future of democracy in America, regardless of partisan politics.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5051931\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\">\n    <a href=\"https:\/\/img.theepochtimes.com\/assets\/uploads\/2023\/02\/12\/shutterstock_574666843-1200x1520.jpg\"><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><noscript><\/noscript><\/figcaption><\/a><br \/>\n    The Bill of Rights includes the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution. (Jack R Perry Photography)<br \/>\n  <\/figure>\n<h2>Turning Point<\/h2>\n<p>\u201cIn my wildest dreams, I would have never thought that, in the year 2023, we\u2019d be dealing with what we\u2019re dealing with,\u201d Mike Allen, an attorney, former prosecutor and judge in Cincinnati, Ohio, told The Epoch Times.<\/p>\n<p>Allen, a conservative who hosts a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/russian-propaganda-claims-no-fighting-in-kyiv-major-ukrainian-cities\/\" title=\"Russian Propaganda Claims No Fighting in Kyiv, Major Ukrainian Cities\">popular political talk show<\/a> on radio station 700 WLW, said he senses that House Republicans\u2019 recent revelations about Biden\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/elizabeth-stauffer-the-world-is-watching-as-democrats-undermine-america-from-within\/\" title=\"Elizabeth Stauffer: The World Is Watching as Democrats Undermine America From Within\">alleged foreign influence-peddling<\/a> are starting to break through to average citizens.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe may have reached a turning point,\u201d Allen said on June 23.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4697199\" style=\"width: 215px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\">\n    <a href=\"https:\/\/img.theepochtimes.com\/assets\/uploads\/2022\/08\/29\/allen_michael_k-1.jpg\"><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><noscript><\/noscript><\/figcaption><\/a><br \/>\n    Cincinnati attorney Mike Allen, a former prosecutor and judge in Ohio. (Courtesy of Mike Allen)<br \/>\n  <\/figure>\n<p>That was just after House Republicans revealed IRS whistleblowers\u2019 allegations that the Department of Justice (DOJ) put up roadblocks during an investigation of Biden\u2019s son, Hunter Biden.<\/p>\n<p>The president\u2019s son allegedly failed to properly report millions of dollars in income from foreign sources but later paid taxes on that income.<\/p>\n<p>The president has declined to answer reporters\u2019 questions on this topic, but Attorney General Merrick Garland <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/garland-denies-irs-whistleblower-claims-of-interference-with-biden-case_5353026.html\">denies<\/a> that the DOJ interfered with the IRS\u2019s probe.<\/p>\n<p>But following last week\u2019s plea deal that could allow the younger Biden to avoid time behind bars, many people now perceive that the U.S. justice system appears to be \u201cweaponized\u201d for the persecution of political enemies such as Trump, Allen said. In contrast, free passes seem to be given to people such as the Bidens, who have powerful political connections.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI do federal criminal work \u2026 and almost no one who ends up in federal court does not go to prison,\u201d Allen said. \u201cThe feds don\u2019t indict anyone unless it\u2019s tied up in a pretty yellow bow \u2026 and they\u2019ve got ya.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But you don\u2019t have to be a lawyer to see that Hunter Biden appears to have been offered a \u201csweetheart deal,\u201d Allen said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPeople are angry about the two-tiered system of justice we have in this country. And that\u2019s never happened here before,\u201d Allen said. \u201cPeople are mad.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>They don\u2019t like seeing that the Biden family has been reaping millions of dollars \u201cfor no apparent reason,\u201d Allen said.<\/p>\n<p>He and others think that Trump is doing well in the polls partly because of backlash against the perceived injustices.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5260895\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\">\n    <a href=\"https:\/\/img.theepochtimes.com\/assets\/uploads\/2023\/05\/12\/id5260895-GettyImages-1246787698-1200x800.jpg\"><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><noscript><\/noscript><\/figcaption><\/a><br \/>\n    Joe Biden, with son Hunter Biden, arrives at Hancock Field Air National Guard Base in Syracuse, New York, on Feb. 4, 2023. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds\/AFP via Getty Images)<br \/>\n  <\/figure>\n<h2>Solidified Views Drive Polls<\/h2>\n<p>But New York-based Democratic strategist David Carlucci sees the polls as indicators of dual forces: Trump\u2019s unshakable appeal to his most loyal supporters, as well as the unflinching disdain of his detractors.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWith little change in the national polls post-Trump\u2019s indictment, it is clear that most Americans have already pledged allegiance to or against the former President,\u201d Carlucci told The Epoch Times. \u201cEven after being the first federally indicted president in U.S. history, Donald Trump\u2019s base stands firmly behind him.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>According to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.realclearpolitics.com\/epolls\/2024\/president\/us\/2024_republican_presidential_nomination-7548.html\">RealClear Politics (RCP) average<\/a> as of June 24, Trump was outpacing his nearest Republican challenger, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, by more than 30 percentage points. All other GOP presidential hopefuls ranked in the single digits.<\/p>\n<p>Likewise, RCP shows Biden is the clear frontrunner for his party\u2019s nomination. The Democrat president holds a whopping 50-point margin over environmental lawyer Robert F. Kennedy Jr., even though his family\u2019s name carries considerable cachet. His father was an attorney general, and his uncle was President John F. Kennedy; both were assassinated in the 1960s.<\/p>\n<p>Kennedy, DeSantis and all the other 2024 presidential hopefuls are having difficulty getting much notice thus far. That\u2019s because the Biden and Trump controversies are consuming all of the political \u201coxygen.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5337434\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\">\n    <a href=\"https:\/\/img.theepochtimes.com\/assets\/uploads\/2023\/06\/16\/id5337434-GettyImages-1258353985-1200x800.jpg\"><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><noscript><\/noscript><\/figcaption><\/a><br \/>\n    Robert Kennedy, Jr., 2024 presidential hopeful, meets with people at the New Hampshire State House Visitor Center in Concord, N.H., on June 1, 2023. (Joseph Prezioso\/AFP via Getty Images)<br \/>\n  <\/figure>\n<h2>Politics \u2018Frozen\u2019 in June?<\/h2>\n<p>Conservative commentator Dick Morris, in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsmax.com\/morris\/christie-pence-nomination\/2023\/06\/24\/id\/1124771\/?utm_medium=email&#038;utm_source=ncl_amplify&#038;utm_campaign=230624-icymi_why_trumps_opponents_are_frozen&#038;utm_content=ncl-q6MjsFKKsA&#038;_nlid=q6MjsFKKsA&#038;_nhids=d5McbyB\">Newsmax column,<\/a> wrote: \u201cAmerican politics have stopped, frozen by the indictment of Trump for no good reason and the deterioration of Joe Biden.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But Special Counsel Jack Smith has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/sco-smith\/speech\/special-counsel-jack-smith-delivers-statement\">said<\/a> that federal prosecutors followed the highest ethical standards as they pursued the Florida case against Trump.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, Morris was referring to continuing concerns about Biden appearing disoriented at times during public functions; Biden\u2019s supporters counter that his physician has declared he is physically and mentally fit for the rigors of the presidency.<\/p>\n<p>Still, concerns over both Trump and Biden have overshadowed the normal political cycle, Morris said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn theory, this week should have been when the nominating process in each party heated up as candidates took to the runway to launch their campaigns,\u201d Morris wrote on June 24. \u201cBut there was zero energy for them.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He argues that circumstances have paralyzed challengers to both Trump and Biden.<\/p>\n<p>All current or potential Democrat candidates \u201cwill have to swear that they simply love the emperor\u2019s new clothes. No one can step out and say that he doesn\u2019t have any. Anyone who dares speak these words will be cast out and be doomed,\u201d Morris said.<\/p>\n<p>On the Republican side, \u201cthere is room for only two viewpoints: That Trump is guilty or that he is innocent,\u201d Morris said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDeSantis [and others] can\u2019t split the difference and say, \u2018Trump is the innocent victim of the Deep State and is being persecuted by the Democrats, but I\u2019m running against him anyway,\u2019\u201d Morris wrote.<\/p>\n<p>This leaves Trump\u2019s GOP opponents with nowhere to stand, he said.<\/p>\n<h2>DeSantis Could Climb<\/h2>\n<p>Allen said it\u2019s a shame that DeSantis\u2019 campaign has not soared; he likes what DeSantis has accomplished as Florida\u2019s governor. \u201cYou have to keep in mind that it\u2019s really early,\u201d Allen said.<\/p>\n<p>DeSantis\u2019 biggest weakness: \u201cHe\u2019s not real good on the stump. He just doesn\u2019t seem real comfortable. But I\u2019m sure that he\u2019ll probably grow into that,\u201d Allen said.<\/p>\n<p>Most callers to Allen\u2019s talk show are pro-Trump. But Allen thinks DeSantis has an opportunity to appeal to Trump supporters who <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/analysis-biden-trump-scandals-freeze-politics-as-voters-worry-over-democracys-future\/\" title=\"Biden and Trump scandals halt politics as voters fear for democracy's future.\">oppose \u201cwoke\u201d social policies<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>DeSantis is \u201cthe epitome of anti-wokeness,\u201d Allen said, \u201cand people are fed up with all of that garbage. They see DeSantis isn\u2019t afraid to stand up against it\u2026I think people admire that. I know they admire that.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4421792\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\">\n    <a href=\"https:\/\/img.theepochtimes.com\/assets\/uploads\/2022\/04\/22\/Screen-Shot-2022-04-22-at-3.05.46-PM-1200x661.png\"><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><noscript><\/noscript><\/figcaption><\/a><br \/>\n    Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signs the \u201cStop Woke Bill\u201d in Hialeah Gardens, Fla., on April 22, 2022. (The Florida Channel\/Screenshot via The Epoch Times)<br \/>\n  <\/figure>\n<p>The Florida governor has signed bills that prohibit schoolchildren from being taught about transgenderism and sexual orientation at young ages, for example. Trump also has said he opposes such \u201cindoctrination\u201d of children; both candidates have objected to allowing biological males to compete against females in sports.<\/p>\n<p>In contrast, Biden has railed against such \u201canti-transgender\u201d policies. That stance appeases his supporters on the far left while risking alienating those who are more moderate. Trump also faces a challenge in wooing those same voters who are stuck in the political middle.<\/p>\n<h2>Biden, Trump Both \u2018Unfavorable\u2019<\/h2>\n<p>A Trump-Biden hypothetical matchup showed Trump with only a 0.5-percent lead\u2013statistically insignificant considering that many polls included in the RCP average have margins of error of about 3 percent.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPolls overall are great forecasts for an election but are no crystal ball,\u201d Carlucci said. \u201cPlenty can and will happen before November 2024, which will mold the election\u2019s results. This cannot be closer to the truth with a former president indicted by the federal government.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Trump is accused of crimes for improper use of documents\u2014classified government records in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/trump-says-he-has-been-indicted-in-classified-documents-probe_5322466.html\">a Florida federal case<\/a> and business records in <a href=\"https:\/\/manhattanda.org\/district-attorney-bragg-announces-34-count-felony-indictment-of-former-president-donald-j-trump\/\">a New York state case.<\/a><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5026046\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\">\n    <a href=\"https:\/\/img.theepochtimes.com\/assets\/uploads\/2023\/02\/01\/agents-at-biden-home-1200x800.jpg\"><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><noscript><\/noscript><\/figcaption><\/a><br \/>\n    U.S. Secret Service agents in front of Joe Biden\u2019s Delaware home in a Jan. 12, 2021, file image. (Shannon McNaught\/Delaware News Journal via AP)<br \/>\n  <\/figure>\n<p>Meanwhile, Biden also faces a probe over his own handling of government documents\u2013an investigation that pales in comparison to the revelations coming from Republicans in Congress. They are investigating the Biden family\u2019s foreign business dealings, including <a href=\"https:\/\/oversight.house.gov\/release\/comer-democrats-continue-to-lie-about-biden-bribery-record\/\">an allegation<\/a> that a foreign national paid Biden at least $5 million in exchange for a policy decision while he was vice president.<\/p>\n<p>Allen finds the emerging scandal shocking. \u201cIf that\u2019s true, that\u2019s selling out your country,\u201d Allen said.<\/p>\n<p>Although Allen has been critical of Trump at times, he said some voters may decide that \u201cTrump with all of his warts is better than a guy who has allegedly taken money from foreign governments.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd again, there is not proof beyond a reasonable doubt of that yet,\u201d Allen said about the allegation against Biden. \u201cBut there sure as hell is probable cause to do an unbiased investigation, and I don\u2019t think that the Department of Justice can do it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He says Congressional subpoenas seem to be prying loose valuable information so that effort should continue.<\/p>\n<h2>Will \u2018Unfazed\u2019 Supporters Stray?<\/h2>\n<p>Meanwhile, Larry Snowden, president of the nation\u2019s largest pro-Trump group, Club 47 USA, told The Epoch Times that a groundswell of support seems to be building for Trump. That\u2019s not despite his legal troubles, but because of them, Snowden said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe people I talk to know that President Trump is being treated unfairly with indictments and legal challenges,\u201d he said. \u201cThey know that it\u2019s all just massive election interference efforts, and President Trump\u2019s supporters just become more energized and supportive of him when they see the unfair treatment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>While Carlucci concedes that Trump\u2019s base so far appears stalwart if Trump faces additional charges, \u201cthe reality of the situation might sway the thoughts of currently unfazed voters,\u201d Carlucci said. Trump remains under investigation in two other probes relating to his reaction to Biden being declared the winner of the 2020 presidential race.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Even with two criminal indictments, ex-President Donald Trump still leads national polls among registered voters. However, these polls indicate that if Trump were to face President Joe Biden, the presumed 2024 Democratic nominee, the competition would be intense.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1196,"featured_media":1956777,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1956775","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1956775","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1196"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1956775"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1956775\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1956777"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1956775"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1956775"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1956775"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}