Donald Trump on Thursday became the first former United States President to be convicted of felony crimes. A New York jury found him guilty of all 34 counts in a scheme to illegally influence the election in 2016 via hush money to an adult actor who claimed the two had s*x.
Trump was speechless when the verdict was read. Cheers could be heard from the street below in the courthouse’s 15th-floor hallway, where the decision was announced after more than nine hours of deliberations.
Donald Trump’s Outrage and Denial
“This was a rigged, disgraceful trial,” an angry Trump told reporters after leaving the courtroom. “The real verdict is going to be November 5 by the people. They know what happened, and everyone knows what happened here.”
Sentencing and Political Implications
Judge Juan Merchan scheduled sentencing for July 11, just days before the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, where GOP leaders, who continued to strongly support in the immediate aftermath of the verdict, are expected to formally name him as their nominee.
A jury convicted former US President Donald Trump on May 30, 2024, of falsifying records to conceal a $130,000 payment to buy an adult star’s silence about a sexual encounter they allegedly had before the 2016 election.
The verdict is a shocking legal result for Trump and exposes him to possible prison time in the city where his tabloid press manipulations helped catapult him from real estate mogul to reality TV star and finally president. As he attempts to reclaim the White House in this year’s election, the decision presents voters with new evidence of their willingness to accept Trump’s transgressive behavior.
Trump is likely to quickly appeal the verdict and face an awkward dynamic as he goes to the campaign trail with felony convictions. There are currently no campaign rallies on the calendar, although he is expected to fundraise next week.
The charge of falsifying business documents carries a sentence of up to four years in prison. However, Alvin Bragg – Manhattan District Attorney – declined to say Thursday whether prosecutors would seek a prison sentence. It is also unclear whether the judge, who had previously threatened a prison sentence for violating the gag order, would impose this sanction himself if asked.
Conviction and even prison time will not stop Trump from continuing his quest for the White House.
Consequences for Trump’s Presidential Bid
Trump faces three other felony charges, but the New York case could be the only one concluded before the November election, increasing the importance of the outcome. While the legal and historical implications of this decision are obvious, its political consequences are less, as it has the potential to reinforce, rather than change, already hardened opinions about Trump.
Political Resilience and Legal Battles
Before the verdict, the Trump campaign had argued that whatever the jury decided, the outcome was unlikely to sway voters and that the election would instead be decided based on issues such as inflation.
For another candidate at another time, a criminal conviction could derail a presidential bid, but Trump’s political career has withstood two impeachments, accusations of sexual abuse and investigations into everything from possible ties to Russia to plans to overturn an election.
Furthermore, the general accusations in the case have been known to voters for years and, although unpleasant, are considered less serious than the accusations against him in three other cases in which he is accused of undermining American democracy and abuse of national security secrets.
Impact on Biden Administration and Democratic Opposition
Still, the decision will likely give President Joe Biden and his Democratic colleagues a chance to refine their arguments that Trump is unfit for office, though the White House has so far issued only a quiet statement affirming that it respects the rule of law.
On the other hand, the decision will also allow the presumptive Republican nominee to continue his unsupported claims that he is a victim of a criminal justice system that he claims is politically motivated against him.
Trump insisted throughout the trial that he had done nothing wrong and that the case should never have gone to court, criticizing the proceedings in court – where he was joined by a parade of key Republican allies – and racking up fines because he violated a gag order with inflammatory out-of-court comments about witnesses.
