By Jason Lange Reuters
Share this story

WASHINGTON (Reuters) — Most U.S. voters followed the criminal trial of President Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden and the vast majority say his conviction won’t affect their vote in the Nov. 5 election, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll that closed on Tuesday.

Some 67% of registered voters in the two-day poll said they had heard at least a fair amount about the trial of Hunter Biden, who on Monday was convicted on charges of lying about his drug use to buy a gun. But 80% said the verdict, which marks the first time the child of a sitting president has been convicted of a crime, will have no bearing on their likelihood to vote for Joe Biden, who is seeking re-election in November.

ADVERTISING

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s conviction last month on charges of trying to cover up a hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels carried somewhat more weight in voters’ minds, with just 61% saying it would have no impact on their decision.

Independent registered voters, whose support both Biden and Trump are fighting for, lined up with the broader population, with four in five saying Hunter Biden’s guilty verdict would not influence their vote and three in five saying Trump’s guilty verdict would not influence their vote.

Trump and Biden have been neck-and-neck in national public opinion polls, with Trump ahead in several of the battleground states that could decide November’s contest.

Just over half of voters polled – or 57% – said the president’s son should be imprisoned for his crimes. That was higher than the 46% in a prior Reuters/Ipsos who said Trump should go to prison for his crimes.