PENNSYLVANIA, USA — The rumor of Trump's indictment has been circulating for a little more than a week and has been quite a talking point across the nation and right here at home.
Former President Donald Trump's indictment is new grounds in the world of modern-day politics, according to Benjamin Toll, an associate professor of political science at Wilkes University.
"This is the first indictment of several different potential indictments that could take place in the near future, so I think what we're seeing is the several months and several years of expectations and thoughts are really sort of culminating in this one event," Toll said.
For Trump's future hopes of a 2024 presidential run, Toll doesn't believe the indictment will hurt Trump and may even help his chances.
"I think a lot of what you saw him trying to do in the last week and a half to come out in front of the indictment was to say this is going to happen and to try to put his frame on the issue to try to tell his voters to try to tell Republican voters this is a witch hunt. This is another example of Democrats trying to get me," Toll said.
Students on Wilkes' campus have mixed opinions on the indictment.
"Personally, I think it's kind of a setup. I think they got blindsided by it this week, and now he's gonna deal with it as soon as he can," said Ben Dunstan, first year.
"It's surprising to find that out just that he is the first president to be criminally charged, but I'm surprised that it's him," added senior Jordan Daniel.
"President Trump is a very stable figure in the American public's mind to the people who, like him, nothing will change their mind, and the people who just dislike President Trump very little change their mind, and so this is going to further solidify further hard and the perspective of President Trump to pretty much every single voter in the United States," Toll said.
The indictment of the former president is obviously the talk of the country.
Newswatch 16 sent crews to sample voters' opinions in two counties.
One that voted for Joe Biden in 2020 and one that voted for Trump.
We begin by hearing what voters are saying in Schuylkill County, which backed Trump in 2016 and 2020.
"Well, I figured at the time he wasn't the president, so why should he be punished for the crime he's being accused of," said Barbara Doyle, Pottsville.
"He has millions of dollars he spends, and that keeps him going. You know, everybody goes to jail except him, all the time," added James Mengle, Pottsville.
On the other hand, Lackawanna County is the childhood home of President Joe Biden.
Here's what voters in Scranton are saying about the indictment of Donald Trump.
"it's nice to see he's not some superior being that we know him to be. He's still a person that can be punished for the wrongdoings that he can put himself into," said Augustine Brapoh Jr., University of Scranton.
"If you look at the number of things Donald Trump has been involved with, hush money to a porn star kinda looks like small potatoes to the other stuff he did," added Shawn Kane, Scranton.
This indictment could have huge political and legal consequences for the former president.
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