NJ voters say Trump could flip state red despite legal woes: 'There's momentum'
Trump is expected to draw in 40,000 supporters at rally in Wildwood on Saturday
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}New Jersey voters are confident former President Trump has a chance to flip the deep-blue Garden State red in November, despite his court battles, as he prepares to draw as many as 40,000 supporters to a rally in Wildwood Saturday.
A panel of N.J. voters joined "Fox & Friends First" to discuss why they believe the former president has a shot to secure those electoral votes in November as he campaigns in between his various legal appearances.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"It's not having a negative impact, so if anything, it's going in the opposite [direction] because they can't believe that this is happening to a civilized nation," resident Roy Paret told co-host Todd Piro on Friday. "What's happening with their trial is really what you would think would happen either in communism or a Third World country, so this, I say, is definitely helping."
"When he has free time, of course he has to stay local. He went to the bodegas in Harlem. He's doing things in New York, and 100% this will help him, I feel, in multiple states, and it's showing already," he continued. "And New Jersey, I agree, will turn red this time around as long as they can follow up on voter integrity [and] check out voter IDs. I feel New Jersey will be switching just like many other states out there."
Trump has been in New York City in recent weeks for his criminal trial stemming from allegations that he falsified business records ahead of the 2016 election. In between court appearances, however, he has made an effort to campaign in places like a Harlem bodega and a construction site in Manhattan.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Paret's remarks come as the state's Republican Party voter registration surges, coming in at more than double the amount of voters as the Democrats for the second month in a row. In April, Republicans registered 3,504 voters and Democrats registered 1,415 voters.
Wildwood is located in N.J.'s 2nd congressional district, which is represented by Rep. Jeff Van Drew – a former Democrat who switched parties in 2019 and endorsed Trump. He held his last rally in Wildwood, a shore destination on the state's southern tip, in 2020.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"There's momentum in New Jersey," William Atkins, a Seton Hall University student, said. "It means that Trump is paying attention to the numbers, and I'd just like to give the NJGOP a shout-out with this, because they're doing an amazing ground game at registering new party voters. And in New Jersey over the past few months, we've had double the Republican registrations than Democrat registrations, and so for a blue state, it really puts an emphasis on what could happen in November."
"Seeing the party registrations in New Jersey, and how many people are going to be standing in line to hear from President Trump on Saturday, there's no question why he'd be coming to New Jersey."
WILDWOOD, NEW JERSEY - JANUARY 28: President Donald Trump speaks at an evening "Keep America Great Rally" at the Wildwood Convention Center on January 28, 2020 in Wildwood, New Jersey. Trump was in the Southern New Jersey town to show support for Democrat-turned-Republican U.S. Congressman Jeff Van Drew. Some supporters of the president have waited in line since Monday morning. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images) (Getty Images)
In 2016, Trump fell behind Hillary Clinton in the state's general election by about 14 points, and by about 16 points behind Biden in 2020.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Trump supporters are confident November will be different as Americans remain energized to change the trajectory of the country, as several polls indicate Trump zeroing in on Biden's lead in critical battleground states.
Piro asked Jeani Isaksen, a N.J. mother of four, if she thought the registration surge was because new voters were getting registered for the first time or because Democrats were leaving the party.
"I know quite a few Democrats that have now definitely switched," Isaksen responded. "They're not going to be voting for Biden, that's for sure. How could you? I mean, we have so many illegals coming through the border committing these crimes, and here we are with… these scandal trials with Trump… When in history, have you ever had a president go through the things that this man is going through?"
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"He does not need to put himself through these things. He has more than enough money and time to go live a happy life somewhere than to deal with the things that he's putting himself through for the American people," she continued. "He's doing it because he loves the American people. They can try this, they can try to silence him, but they're never going to silence the American people."