Posobiec said: "[These numbers] came out before the indictment, [but] I wanted to ask you your read on this, and what your general read on the shift [post-indictment]."
Cahaly jumped in, saying that he "had the opportunity to be in the belly of the beast this weekend at the Georgia convention," adding that the indictment appears to have increased the support of the former president. The pollster was sure to split up potential Trump supporters into two groups. The first is the group that will support Trump no matter what, just as there are those who claim that Biden did not take a bribe in the Burisma debacle. However, there is a second group of supporters who have looked at the evidence against Trump, and have "dismissed" the espionage charges.
Cahaly continued: "I've seen Trump's perception that at some of these events, I did not see a difference in [his support]." He went on to suggest that the best time to measure the indictment's effect on Trump's supporters would still be two or three weeks out, when the hearing has already happened, and people have a better idea about where it is going.
Cahaly went on to say that Trump's support mellows when he is not in the news, but when his photo appears on screen, or when there is a big story about him, his support begins to surge.
The pollster also noted Trump's message that if the government and its actors are willing to do this to a former president, they will certainly do so to the American people. This populist messaging has fallen on "willing ears," per Cahaly.
