Hoosiers react to Trump conviction
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Hoosiers in downtown Indianapolis was shocked to learn that former President Donald Trump was convicted on all 34 felony charges he was on trial for in a Manhattan courtroom.
The people News 8 spoke to on camera were in favor of the former president’s conviction, but it was difficult to get people to speak on the record about a polarizing political issue.
Ultimately, the group we spoke to was an incredibly small sample of Indianapolis and the state of Indiana. It is not necessarily representative of what everyone thinks after this conviction.
It was also just those willing to go on camera. A handful of people spoke with News 8 when the microphone was off.
One person seemed to think this would not affect Trump’s presidential campaign. Another person shouted “Trump 2024” as he walked away.
“I mean, I am thrilled, to be honest. It’s long deserved, said Erin O’Loughlin, an Indianapolis resident. “There’s so much stuff that he’s done and gotten away with.”
Scott McDonald, another Indianapolis resident, was kinder to the former leader.
“I don’t have anything against Trump. He’s just doing like we’re all doing,” McDonald said. “You know, if you did something wrong, you’ve got to pay the consequences.”
“I thought it was about time,” said Jay Lane, of Mooresville. “It seems that over the years, he’s gotten away with a lot of different things, whether it has to do with women or not. Business practices. So, I think it’s about time that he got convicted of something he actually did.”
Justin Burns, of Indianapolis, was not quick to judge, but agreed with all crimes being punished.
“I don’t want to judge nobody immediately, but everybody makes mistakes, but he deserves his consequence and hopefully learns from his actions,” Burns said.
“Well nobody really thought it was going to happen, but justice served,” said Tyler Collins, another Indianapolis resident.
“I would hope that this would be an indication for anyone considering voting for him to not as he is going to be a convicted felon,” O’Loughlin said.
“I can see his base getting all fired up to go vote for him, martyring him, so to speak,” Lane said. “And then I don’t think it’s going to change the minds of the Democratic voters, so it’s really what happens to the in-between voters.”
“Unfortunately, yes, I was hoping that [the Republican Party] would move away from that, but they’ve stuck to their guns pretty good. So, I would imagine they’re gonna stay with him,” Collins said.
Burns shared concern about what other people in positions of power have gotten away with over the years.
Burns said, “I know he’s not the only one so it makes me think, ‘What else is out there?’”
“I just appreciate our justice system,” Lane concluded. “They don’t just sit around because someone may be an ex-president.”
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