President Trump's love him or hate him factor may play a role in the election

Craig Burnett, a political science professor at Hofstra University, says the Trump factor may be the biggest issue in the president's campaign.

News 12 Staff

Oct 27, 2020, 12:47 PM

Updated 1,411 days ago

Share:

Experts say President Donald Trump's love him or hate him factor may impact how voters pick the next president with only eight days left until the election.
Craig Burnett, a political science professor at Hofstra University, says the Trump factor may be the biggest issue in the president's campaign. Burnett says it may even overshadow issues such as the pandemic, the economy and race relations.
"It ultimately is always about the incumbent when they're running for a second term. But it's hard to ignore that his personality and the way he approaches politics and policy is a part of the process in a way that I think is unmatched in history," says Burnett.
Some of President Trump's strongest supporters just might be in the town of Brookhaven. He beat Hillary Clinton by 18 points in that area four years ago. That could also impact both Congressional and state Senate races.
Former state Assemblyman Jerry Kremer says President Trump could hurt Rep. Lee Zeldin's chance to win a fourth term.
"There is a weariness factor with Trump. I think that does spill down the ballot. Usually the person at the top doesn't drag them in, but the person at the top can drag them down," says Kremer.
Some Long Island voters say they already know who they are voting for despite all the rancor that is going on.