Epstein files the biggest drag on Trump's approval rating in Florida, poll finds
Published in Political News
President Donald Trump’s handling of the investigative files into sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein marks the biggest hit to his net approval ratings in Florida, according to a statewide poll conducted by Democratic consultants.
Other issues resulting in low approval numbers included abortion, government spending, Iran and the economy, ranked by unpopularity, according to the poll’s findings. But Trump — now underwater with Florida voters — performed the worst on the issue of the Epstein files, with a net approval rating of minus-25.
Trump has repeatedly tried to suppress coverage and attention on Epstein over the past year, largely unsuccessfully. Epstein was in the news cycle again last week, after first lady Melania Trump gave an unexpected statement saying her relationship to Epstein was not a close one.
Trump also recently fired former Attorney General Pam Bondi, whose tenure was largely defined by Epstein.
Trump initially opposed a bill last fall that would mandate the release of all investigatory files in Epstein, but eventually agreed to support the law after it appeared House Republicans were going to support it with or without him.
Bondi’s scattershot compliance of that law drew outrage from victims. Under her leadership, the Department of Justice blew past multiple release deadlines under the act. The files her department eventually released also revealed victims’ names and personal information, while redacting details not eligible to be hidden from the public under the law.
Even among Florida Republicans, who broadly approved of Trump’s handling of other issues, his net approval rating on the Epstein files was only plus-29.5, according to a poll conducted by EDGE Communications and MDW Communications. The poll found 21% of voters rated corruption as the issue they were most concerned about.
EDGE Founder Christian Ulvert said to expect talk of Epstein on the campaign trail. He’s managing the campaigns of a slate of mostly down-ballot Democratic candidates this election cycle.
“It will continue to have an impact heading into November, and you can expect candidates to remind voters what’s at stake when it comes to truth, safety, and justice — not as a political talking point, but as a question of leadership and accountability,” Ulvert wrote in a statement.
That message will be especially targeted toward no-party-affiliated voters, who Democrats say will be the key to winning in Florida. The new poll showed a surge of support for Democrats these voters, who make up almost a third of Florida’s electorate.
Polls tend to over-represent the views of liberal no-party-affiliated voters, according to Martin Page, a partner at MDW Communications. To correct for that, the consulting firms polled a larger number of conservative-leaning no-party voters “to correct for a liberal response bias,” Page said.
Their findings showed 52% of NPA voters were more likely to vote for a Democratic candidate for Congress compared to a Republican one. Just 26% of these voters said they were more likely to vote for a Republican candidate for Congress. The rest were undecided.
Democrats say the trend is evidence the tides could move in their favor, despite years of losing statewide elections and a massive voter registration disadvantage in Florida.
“Most important here is understanding that it’s areas with heavy NPA registration” where Democrats have over performed in special elections in recent months, Ulvert said. “Our fortunes as Democrats are going to rest with them.”
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