Rural And Small-Town Voters: Trump’s Classified Documents Debacle
The Rural Voter Institute’s 2023 research (conducted summer of 2023) examined perceptions around three potential factors in the 2024 election: Trump’s mishandling of classified information, Biden’s economic record, and the public policy issue of crime and safety – a much hyped issue in the most recent mid-term election.
Topline Findings:
Trump’s mishandling of classified information bore the potential to be an important electoral issue, specifically the tape of him in his own voice taking a blasé approach to the classified nature of documents. one panelist explained, “I'm not voting for Trump. It's that simple. This is too much and too deep and I just can't go along with it.”
Panelists felt he had indeed done something wrong and should be held accountable. For panelists, the tape of Trump bragging about sharing the classified information was an important point in judging this as a bad action for which he should be held accountable.
Panelists showed reservations about Trump as a candidate and reservations about a second Trump term in office. More generally, one panelist asserted, “I agree with [Trump’s] policies and I feel like he did really good in the beginning, but then the power trip almost got to his head and it got a little wonky. And because of that, I don't know why you would vote for him or- too much like it. That's not what we want.”
When read a statement that the election was stolen from Trump, the panel was divided on the issue. Some panelists indicated they felt Trump was being persecuted with the legal investigations and cases against him, but the mishandling of classified information was virtually a universal vulnerability for Trump amongst panelists.
For further findings and recommendations, download our report below.