Western Pa. voters react to Trump’s guilty verdict

Forest Hills’ Joel Johnson said Thursday evening that former President Donald Trump’s conviction on 34 felony counts will sway his vote in November.

Johnson, 43, described the unprecedented trial as a “hot mess.” As a self-proclaimed independent, he said he usually votes for who he believes is the least dangerous candidate. Following the verdict, he said he won’t be voting for Trump.

“(The verdict) is just more confirmation of something we already know: He’s not fit to be president, and he should be in prison,” Johnson said Thursday evening at Bakery Square in Pittsburgh’s Larimer neighborhood.

Johnson was one of several Western Pennsylvania voters who TribLive spoke with in the wake of the verdict.

Most had already decided on their candidate and didn’t think Trump’s conviction would sway many others, either.

Yvette Snyder of Brackenridge said the verdict shows that “nobody is above the law,” but it doesn’t change her thoughts about Trump or Biden.

“I don’t like either of them,” Snyder said.

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Trump supporters maintained their backing of the former president.

Sandy Jones of Hempfield was not aware of the trial, but said she is supporting Trump nonetheless after being informed he was convicted.

“I actually think it would be fine for him to run as president, because I agree with a lot of his policies — the things that he had done at the border,” said Jones outside of the Shop ‘n Save in Greensburg.

Geoff Caesar of New Kensington, said he doesn’t believe Trump got a fair trial.

Caesar said the judge sitting on Trump’s case donated to the Biden campaign and questioned why he would not recuse himself from the case. Caesar plans to vote for Trump.

Trump repeatedly criticized Justice Juan Merchan during the trial. It was reported that Merchan gave $15 to Biden’s campaign in 2020, and New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct cautioned Merchan but ultimately dismissed an ethics complaint about the donation.

“Is this a banana republic? The fix was in. It had to be,” Caesar said outside the New Kensington Giant Eagle.

Democratic voters expressed relief that Trump was convicted.

Bobby Price, 65, of Greensburg said at the Shop ‘n Save in Greensburg that he had been following the trial closely and said the judicial system worked as designed.

“They listened to all the evidence, they weighed the evidence and, in their opinion, a jury of his peers in New York convicted him on what the evidence was,” Price said.

He said he thinks the conviction might change some minds, but his mind was already made up because he supports Democrats up and down the ballot.

The verdict surprised Maurice Moses, a Wilkinsburg Democrat.

“I was thinking that he may not be found guilty, honestly,” said Moses, 41, outside the Pittsburgh Panera Bread. “However, I think it’s about time because it’s been drawn out for so long.”

He plans to vote for Biden and said the verdict should play a heavy role in who people vote for in November, though there’s a possibility it won’t change people’s minds.

For Shadyside resident Maggie Larter, this conviction just strengthens her resolve against Trump.

“I mean, this just feels like a great day,” said Larter, 41. “It’s thrilling just to know that some kind of justice is happening.”

Larter wishes the conviction would bar Trump from running. She said it doesn’t feel fair that a convicted felon can become president.

Legal scholars agree the U.S. Constitution does not bar convicted felons from serving as president.

Some states, like in Pennsylvania, prohibit residents from holding a state elected office if they are convicted of a serious crime.

Larter said she is happy Trump was convicted, but doesn’t feel like it will alter many people’s minds about the election.

“I would love to think this will change some people’s minds about him,” she said, “but it feels like nothing will.”