Donald Trump was wildly popular among police officers in Chicago – and surprisingly, he also won the prisoner vote in at least one jail.
Trump won the Chicago Cook County Jail Precinct despite having lost it by a whopping 94 percentage points in 2020.
The jail is one of the few in the country to offer in-person voting, and often surpasses Chicago’s general turnout. Inmates are entitled to vote, having been able to do so since the turn of the decade.
Four years ago, the precinct voted overwhelmingly for Joe Biden, with the Democrat securing 96% of the vote compared to 2% for Trump. In 2024, however, Trump beat rival Kamala Harris, amassing 49% to the Vice President’s 47%.
Trump made a major part of his early campaign highlighting what he and supporters deemed to be political persecution. He was indicted four times in 2023, at federal, state and county level. Social media commentors speculated that this may have boosted his popularity among convicted felons who also believe to be a victim of an unjust justice system, showcased best by the infamous mugshot.
Others were not surprised that a former prosecutor performed so poorly among inmates.