In a historic legal reckoning, former President Donald Trump has been convicted on all 34 counts of falsifying business records in the high-stakes Manhattan hush money case. On May 30th, a jury unanimously found Trump guilty after weighing charges that he orchestrated illegal payments to a porn star before the 2016 election to buy her silence over an alleged sexual encounter.
This represents the first time an American president, sitting or former, has ever been convicted of a felony crime. The 77-year-old Trump now faces potential jail time when he is sentenced on July 11th, though legal experts say incarceration is unlikely. Regardless, the guilty verdict amounts to a striking political and personal downfall for the former president who had seemed impassive to legal consequences throughout his business career and time in office.
Upon exiting the courthouse, a defiant Trump lashed out at what he called a “rigged decision” and a “disgrace.” He proclaimed his innocence and vowed to appeal, accusing the judge of being “conflicted” and assailing the trial as “corrupt.” The former president told reporters, “We’ll keep fighting, we’ll fight till the end and we’ll win.”
At the center of the case were hush money payments made in 2016 to two women – adult film actress Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal – who alleged they previously had sexual encounters with the married Trump. Prosecutors argued that Trump’s company falsely listed the $130,000 payment to Daniels as being for a “legal retainer” in its internal records.
The six-week trial featured dramatic testimony from Daniels herself about the alleged 2006 sexual encounter with Trump. While acknowledging the sexual activity was consensual, Daniels spoke of her discomfort at the situation given Trump’s power and celebrity. “There was an imbalance of power for sure,” she said. Trump’s defense team aggressively challenged Daniels’ credibility and the authenticity of her claims.
Though seemingly a relatively minor financial matter, the case carried immense legal and political implications as the first battle in a coming war over Trump’s alleged misconduct before, during and after his presidency. He is still under investigation by prosecutors in Georgia over efforts to overturn the state’s 2020 election results. Additionally, a looming federal indictment is expected surrounding his handling of classified documents after leaving the White House.
The guilty verdict in the Manhattan case now casts even more uncertainty over Trump’s viability as a candidate in the 2024 presidential race, which he has already launched. Some polldancers have suggested his support remained solid with his Republican base leading up to the trial. However, his criminal conviction on charges related to alleged sexual impropriety could sap his political strength.
Regardless of Trump’s electoral future, his conviction has already secured a permanent place in history as the ultimate personal and legal downfall of a once-towering national figure. The accountability that had long eluded the former president finally caught up with him in a New York City courtroom.