GEORGIA, — The hush money trial of Former President Donald Trump is expected to occupy the likely Republican nominee for months. How much will it affect his effort to win Georgia, which Trump barely lost to Joe Biden in 2020?
When Biden made a public appearance in Atlanta late in the 2020 election, he mostly avoided the state that summer and fall -- yet days later, Biden won the state’s electoral votes.
That showed former Cobb Republican Chairman Jason Shepherd that in-person campaign appearances may be overrated.
"Rallies don’t make a victory. They’re helpful, but they’re only one tool," Shepherd, a political science instructor at Kennesaw State University, said.
He said Republican Donald Trump can spend much of this year in courtrooms yet still win Georgia in November.
"Trump has been generally leading the polls. And these trials have only been boosting his numbers, not decreasing them," he said.
Voters have spent seven years learning Trump’s style, campaign positions, and behavior in the White House. Though he’s a known entity, former Cobb Democratic chair Erick Allen says Trump’s court cases will still limit his ability to urge his supporters to actually vote - especially those who lack motivation to vote.
"You're nibbling at the margins in a race like this. And I think not being able to be in front of that one to two percent is important," said Allen, a former state representative now running for Cobb County's Board of Commissioners. "Any time your candidate is able to spend time with voters and not jurors, it’s a good day."
But Shepherd said Trump’s famously lengthy, oversized rallies among fervent supporters rarely sway undecided voters. In fact, Shepherd said the former president’s beleaguered public appearances outside of the New York courthouse may be effective at winning him votes.
"I think throughout the rest of summer, the trials will be a form of campaign," Shepherd said.
Trump faces three other legal cases, including one here in Georgia. It's unclear how much time those cases will occupy his time between now and the November election.