CBS News
Doubts about both candidates leave many Wisconsin voters undecided: “I want Jesus to come before the election”
With the Republican National Convention underway, most voters are paying close attention to presidential politics. However, enthusiasm remains low, especially as a Trump-Biden rematch looms.
During the primaries, polls consistently showed that voters did not want another showdown between former President Donald Trump and President Biden. Despite this, it appears to be the matchup the country will face, raising questions about how voter dissatisfaction will impact actual voting and which candidate might have an edge in enthusiasm.
CBS News spoke to voters in Wisconsin, home to this year’s Republican National Convention, before Saturday’s attempted assassination of Trump.
At a popular bratwurst joint in Kenosha, nearly everyone expressed they were keeping up with politics and planned to vote.
However, when asked how they felt about the upcoming election, many voters showed signs of apprehension and worry. One woman even said, “I want Jesus to come before the election.”
Another woman said her heart gets really tense just thinking about the election.
“I’m just really worried,” she said.
While Biden supporters often express reservations or hope for another option, Trump supporters appear more enthusiastic.
A local man, when asked if he was excited about his choice, responded, “Absolutely.”
A poll conducted last month in Wisconsin found that 61% of Trump voters described themselves as “very enthusiastic” about their candidate, compared to just 39% of Mr. Biden’s supporters. Nearly half of Democrats nationwide now believe Mr. Biden should step aside, according to a CBS News poll taken shortly after his disastrous debate but before the assassination attempt.
But a vote is a vote, no matter how enthusiastic. At the Mars Cheese Castle, in between the curds and accessories, there were quite a few not-so-excited Biden voters.
“We all can dream and imagine something better, but you’ve got one guy and he’s there, you know, so,” said a man by the name of Pete.
The reality of 2024 is that most voters have significant doubts about both candidates. Two-thirds have little or no confidence in Mr. Biden’s physical fitness and a majority doubt Trump would act ethically if reelected.
“I think neither one of them are perfect,” said one voter.
This sentiment leaves a sizable number of voters who could still be swayed if circumstances change. One undecided voter said, “I’m just trying to see what they end up doing because you know you’re hearing rumors that some people are gonna drop out.”
One shopper expressed frustration, feeling that the current political options give the country a bad look.
“They make us look like idiots,” said a voter by the name of Nonnie. “Where’s the Kennedys? Where’s the Bushes? Where’s the honorable people at, to step up?”
Meanwhile, at City Lights Brewery in Milwaukee, some voters expressed a lack of confidence in both major party leaders’ ability to solve the nation’s problems.
Becky, a local, summed it up: “I’m definitely not voting for Biden… I can’t say 100% that I’m gonna vote for Trump either. We still have a couple of months to see who comes out of the woodwork.”
According to CBS News polling, while both candidates face doubts, Biden’s challenges are more significant. Republicans currently have a 9-point advantage in terms of party members who say they definitely plan to vote. Among those doubting Mr. Biden, many are less likely to turn out and more likely to consider alternative candidates.
A Georgia county’s emergency call center was overwhelmed by calls on Sept. 4 about a school shooting at Apalachee High School that killed four people and wounded nine others, records released Friday by Barrow County show.
Local news organizations report many of the 911 phone calls were not released under public record requests because state law exempts from release calls recording the voice of someone younger than 18 years old. That exemption would cover calls from most of the 1,900 students at the school in Winder, northeast of Atlanta.
Calls spiked around 10:20 a.m., when authorities have said that 14-year-old suspect Colt Gray began shooting. Many calls were answered with an automated message saying there was a “high call volume,” WAGA-TV reported.
One man called 911 after receiving text messages from a girlfriend. He was put on hold for just over 10 minutes because of an influx of calls at the time of the shooting, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
“She hears people yelling outside, so I don’t know if that’s officers in the building or that’s — I don’t know,” he said, adding that she was eventually evacuated out of the school.
Other adults also called 911 after their children contacted them.
“My daughter calling me crying. Somebody go ‘boom, boom, boom, boom,'” one mother said. The 911 operator responded: “Ma’am we have officers out there, OK?”
Parents of students at an elementary school and middle school neighboring Apalachee also flooded 911 seeking information.
“Sir, my daughter goes to school next door to Apalachee. Is there a school shooter?” one caller asked.
“We do have an active situation (at) Apalachee High School right now,” the operator responded. “We have a lot of calls coming in.”
More than 500 radio messages between emergency personnel were also released Friday.
“Active shooter!” an officer yells in one audio clip while speaking with a dispatcher, CNN reported. Another officer responds, “Correct. We have an active shooter at Apalachee High School.”
The shooting killed teachers Richard Aspinwall, 39, and Cristina Irimie, 53, as well as students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both 14. Another teacher and eight more students were wounded, with seven of those hit by gunfire.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation reported Thursday that the suspect rode the school bus on the day of the shooting with the assault-style rifle concealed in his backpack.
He then asked a teacher for permission to go to the front office to speak with someone, and when he received it, he was allowed to take his backpack with him, GBI said. He then went to a restroom, where he hid, and then eventually took out the weapon and started shooting, investigators said. A knife was also found on him when he was arrested.
According to investigators, the suspect enrolled at Apalachee High on Aug. 14, and between Aug. 14 and the day of the shooting, he was absent for nine days of school.
The family told CBS News that the suspect’s maternal grandmother had visited the school the day before the massacre to discuss the suspect’s alleged behavioral issues.
The suspect has been charged as an adult with four counts of murder, and District Attorney Brad Smith has said more charges are likely to be filed against him in connection with the wounded. Authorities have also charged his father, 54-year-old Colin Gray, alleging that he gave his son access to the gun when he knew or should have known that the teen was a danger to himself and others.
The 13,000 students at Barrow County’s other schools returned to class Tuesday. The 1,900 students who attend Apalachee are supposed to start returning the week of Sept. 23, officials said Friday.
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