In a record-breaking incident, Former United States President, Donald Trump, has become the first US president, past or present, to be charged and convicted of a crime.
He has been found guilty in the historic criminal hush-money trial.
A New York City jury delivered the verdict after a seven-week-long trial and it found Trump guilty on all 34 counts he faced.
The New York case was one of four criminal indictments Trump faced. It is likely to be the only one to go to trial before the November election.
A sentencing date was set for July 11, 2024, at the request of defence lawyer, Todd Blanche.
That hearing falls four days before the start of the Republican National Convention in Wisconsin, where Trump is expected to be officially recognised as the party’s presidential nominee.
Outside the courtroom, Trump briefly spoke to reporters, saying, “This was a rigged, disgraceful trial. The real verdict is going to be November 5, by the people. And they know what happened here.”
He reiterated that he is “a very innocent man.”
“We will fight for our constitution. This is long from over. Thank you very much,” he said as he quickly turned and left.
“Would voters vote for a convicted felon?”
So far, nothing has really tainted Trump’s appeal among his die-hard supporters.
With each of the 91 charges he faces in each of four cases, his popularity actually rose among Republicans. So it hasn’t hurt him among them.
What is likely to happen, though, is there are likely going to be people in the middle who might look at this differently.
This verdict may ding Trump’s poll numbers slightly in the short run. However, it is possible that by November, it will almost certainly be long forgotten.
Melanie Sloan, a former prosecutor and government ethics expert, told a news agency that the guilty verdict is likely to drive a wedge between Trump and more moderate constituencies.
“He knows this is a political problem. He knows there are a lot of Americans who might be willing to put up with a lot of stuff from Mr Trump, but convicted by a jury of 12? That might be a bridge too far for the independent voters who are on the fence about Donald Trump.”
Melanie Sloan
“They might have liked his economic policies, but they don’t like all the drama,” she added.
Nonetheless, Trump is not bound for a smooth sailing as the verdict could shake up the 2024 election campaign.
He now faces a prison sentence of up to four years for each felony count, though court observers claim that it is unlikely he will face time behind bars, as opposed to probation or community service.
Trump’s right to vote in Florida in November’s election will depend on whether he is sentenced to a term in prison and if he has finished serving that prison sentence by the time of the election.
If he’s given probation, it would mean Trump would have to frequently report to his probation officer who would monitor him to make sure he was obeying the law.
He’d have to get permission from his probation officer every time he travelled. That can be a worry for him.
Time For Democrats To Focus On Americans
In reaction to the verdict, Campaign communications director Michael Tyler said in a statement, “In New York today, we saw that no one is above the law.”
He added, “But today’s verdict does not change the fact that the American people face a simple reality. There is still only one way to keep Donald Trump out of the Oval Office: at the ballot box.”
It is almost certain that Trump will not drop out of the presidential race.
As such, Democrats should invest their time and energy on the American populace.
Voters are actually interested in what a presidential candidate can do for them rather than the candidate been guilty or innocent.
Democrats should turn the camera away from Trump and toward the American people.
Democrats should focus on voters’ lives.
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