Will Trump's conviction sway voters in Florida? Jim DeFede weighs in

Miami political reporter Jim DeFede gives his take on the aftermath of the Trump guilty verdict

MIAMI - Donald Trump's felony conviction in New York is unlikely to sway voters in Florida, according to CBS News Miami's Jim DeFede.

DeFede said he didn't think Trump's conviction on 34 felony counts would move the needle in President Biden's direction in Florida. CBS News polling released earlier this month showed Trump leading Mr. Biden 54 percent to 45 percent in the state.

While DeFede said this could impact the race in swing states, he said the conviction was unlikely to change Floridians' minds, given Trump's sizable lead in the polls.

He also noted that polling shows that the economy is the "driving factor likely to guide their votes in November."

A jury on Thursday found that Trump illegally falsified business records to conceal a $130,000 payment made to adult film star Stormy Daniels days before the 2016 election. Trump declared himself "a very innocent man" after the verdict was read.

"The real verdict is going to be November 5 by the people, and they know what happened here, and everybody knows what happened here," Trump told reporters. 

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