Historic Conviction: Donald Trump Found Guilty of Falsifying Business Records

New York City, New York United States of America
Conviction sets precedent for accountability for those in power
Conviction stemmed from payment to Stormy Daniels during 2016 presidential campaign
Former President Donald Trump was convicted of falsifying business records on June 3, 2024
Trump maintains innocence and plans to appeal verdict
Trump's popularity among base remains strong despite conviction
Historic Conviction: Donald Trump Found Guilty of Falsifying Business Records

Former President Donald Trump made history on Thursday, June 3rd, 2024, as the first U.S. president to be criminally convicted in a court of law. The verdict came after a jury found him guilty on all counts related to falsifying business records regarding a payment made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels during his 2016 presidential campaign.

The conviction, which stemmed from the hush money case, has significant implications for Trump's political future. According to various polls conducted following the verdict, a substantial number of Americans believe that Trump should end his campaign in light of the guilty verdict. For instance, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found that one in ten registered Republican voters were less likely to support him due to the conviction.

Trump has maintained his innocence and plans to appeal the verdict. One potential ground for appeal is the restriction of an expert witness he sought to have testify during the trial. The case could be heard by a higher court, such as the First Judicial Department appellate court or even the Supreme Court.

The conviction sets a precedent that could potentially be used against Democrats in future cases brought by partisan Republican prosecutors. Trump's legal team has argued that the charges were politically motivated and an overreach of the law. However, many believe that this verdict is a victory for the rule of law and sends a strong message about accountability for those in positions of power.

The trial also brought renewed attention to other allegations against Trump, such as his involvement in the Access Hollywood tape scandal and various campaign finance violations. These issues could potentially resurface during the appeal process or future investigations.

Despite the conviction, Trump's popularity among his base remains strong. Many continue to support him and view this as a politically motivated attack by the Democratic Party and mainstream media. The outcome of this case is likely to have significant implications for American politics in the coming months and years.


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Confidence

91%

Doubts
  • It is unclear if this conviction will directly affect Trump's political future
  • The expert witness restriction during the trial could potentially impact the verdict's validity

Sources

61%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Piers Morgan ridiculed over reaction to Donald Trump guilty verdict: ‘Are you serious?’

The Independent Jacob Stolworthy Monday, 03 June 2024 08:05
  • Unique Points
    • Donald Trump has become the first criminally convicted US president in history.
    • Trump was found guilty of falsifying business records to conceal a $130,000 payment made to Stormy Daniels.
  • Accuracy
    • He is expected to be sentenced on 11 July, four days before he’s expected to become the Republican’s official presidential candidate.
    • The jury found Trump guilty on all counts at his hush money trial.
  • Deception (20%)
    The author, Jacob Stolworthy, displays editorializing and pontification by expressing his opinion that the conviction of Donald Trump is a 'sad, shameful and ridiculous day for America' and an 'overreach' that is 'politically partisan'. He also makes a prediction about the outcome of the upcoming election based on Trump's conviction. These statements are not facts but rather opinions.
    • To drag a former President, who is running for President again, through criminal courts over something so trivial feels a massive overreach & an incredibly divisive and obviously politically partisan action.
    • This is a sad, shameful and ridiculous day for America.
    • My guess is this verdict will propel him back into the White House.
  • Fallacies (85%)
    The author, Jacob Stolworthy, makes an appeal to emotion when he states 'This is a sad, shameful and ridiculous day for America.' This is an informal fallacy as it attempts to elicit an emotional response from the reader rather than presenting factual information. The author also uses inflammatory rhetoric when he describes the verdict as a 'massive overreach' and 'an incredibly divisive and obviously politically partisan action.' These statements are not based on facts but rather on the author's opinion.
    • ]This is a sad, shameful and ridiculous day for America.[/
  • Bias (10%)
    The author expresses a clear bias towards Donald Trump by defending him and downplaying the significance of his criminal conviction. He also implies that the trial is politically partisan and an overreach.
    • “This is a sad, shameful and ridiculous day for America.”
      • “To drag a former President, who is running for President again, through criminal courts over something so trivial feels a massive overreach & an incredibly divisive and obviously politically partisan action.”
      • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication
      • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication

      77%

      The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
      (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

      A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

      Looming over Trump’s conviction: reversal by the ‘13th juror’

      Politico News Site Name: POLITICO Full Legal Name of News Site: Politico LLC Location of News Site: Washington D.C., USA Sunday, 02 June 2024 00:00
      • Unique Points
        • Trump plans to challenge the verdict against him in the hush money case.
        • Trump may appeal on the grounds that an expert witness he sought to have testify was restricted from doing so.
      • Accuracy
        • Donald Trump plans to challenge the verdict against him in the hush money case.
        • Trump's first chance to challenge the verdict will come within 30 days of his sentencing on July 11.
        • The appeal may focus on largely arcane legal issues, not the salacious evidence presented to the jury.
        • Jurors found Trump guilty of falsifying business records with unlawful means but did not have to agree on a singular unlawful act.
        • Trump's lawyers might argue that some testimony was prejudicial, particularly Stormy Daniels’ account of having sex with Trump and some testimony connected to the ‘Access Hollywood’ tape.
        • Trump has made multiple requests for the judge to recuse himself and complained about the trial taking place in Manhattan.
      • Deception (30%)
        The article discusses the possibility of former President Trump appealing his conviction and the potential for a reversal. It mentions that some legal experts believe he has a decent chance of success. This is an example of selective reporting as it only reports details that support the author's position, in this case, the possibility of Trump winning an appeal.
        • He might even win.
        • There is an appeal that could have legs.
        • We are going to take this as high and far as we need to, including to the U.S. Supreme Court, to vindicate President Trump's rights.
      • Fallacies (85%)
        The article contains several potential fallacies, including an appeal to authority and a dichotomous depiction. The author quotes Arlo Devlin-Brown stating that 'There is an appeal that could have legs.' This is an example of an appeal to authority fallacy as the author is implying that since Devlin-Brown, a former federal prosecutor, believes there may be grounds for an appeal, it must be true. Additionally, the article states 'The way the appellate division is structured could also cut in Trump’s favor. The division is dubbed the “13th juror” in New York because judges are allowed to make decisions based on the facts of the case – not only the law.' This statement creates a dichotomous depiction by implying that other appellate divisions do not allow judges to make decisions based on facts, which is not accurate. The score is 85 due to these fallacies.
        • 'There is an appeal that could have legs,'
        • 'The way the appellate division is structured could also cut in Trump’s favor. The division is dubbed the “13th juror” in New York because judges are allowed to make decisions based on the facts of the case – not only the law.'
      • Bias (95%)
        The article discusses the legal avenues that former President Trump's team may pursue in appealing his conviction. The author mentions that some legal experts believe Trump has a decent chance of a reversal. This implies a bias towards Trump and an assumption of his innocence.
        • He might even win.
          • There is an appeal that could have legs.
            • We are going to take this as high and far as we need to, including to the U.S. Supreme Court, to vindicate President Trump’s rights.
            • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
              None Found At Time Of Publication
            • Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
              None Found At Time Of Publication

            80%

            The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
            (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

            A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

            Opinion | Time Flies When You’re Being Convicted

            The Name Of The NZ Prefix. I PWA NZI.P.Was Dropped. Gail Collins, Monday, 03 June 2024 09:04
            • Unique Points
              • Trump raised close to $35 million off the verdict.
              • The conviction sets a precedent that could be used against Democrats by partisan Republican prosecutors.
            • Accuracy
              • Trump was found guilty of falsifying business records to conceal a $130,000 payment made to Stormy Daniels.
              • , Trump raised close to $35 million off the verdict.
              • , The conviction sets a precedent that could be used against Democrats by partisan Republican prosecutors.
            • Deception (50%)
              The authors express their opinions about the political implications of Trump's conviction, making editorializing and pontification. They also make assumptions about the impact on voters without providing evidence.
              • Gail: But there’s that mushy middle group that everybody’s targeting. All those guilty verdicts must have discouraged the not-totally-committed Trump folks at least a tad.
              • Bret: I doubt that anyone previously inclined to vote for him will now be swayed to vote for President Biden because Trump fiddled with the books seven years ago to cover up a tawdry affair from more than a decade earlier and got convicted in a case brought by a progressive prosecutor in a liberal jurisdiction through an obscure law.
            • Fallacies (85%)
              The authors engage in an informal fallacy called 'False Dilemma' or 'Either-Or Fallacy'. They present only two options: Trump's conviction will either not impact voters or it will discourage some voters but encourage others. However, there are other possibilities, such as the conviction having no effect on undecided voters or leading to a shift in public opinion against Trump. This oversimplification of the situation limits the reader's understanding and consideration of all potential outcomes.
              • Gail: I’ve never thought the trial would have much of an impact on the political divide in this country... But there’s that mushy middle group that everybody’s targeting. All those guilty verdicts must have discouraged the not-totally-committed Trump folks at least a tad.
              • Bret: You might be right that it moved them, but in the wrong direction.
              • Gail: But there’s that mushy middle group that everybody’s targeting. All those guilty verdicts must have discouraged the not-totally-committed Trump folks at least a tad.
            • Bias (100%)
              None Found At Time Of Publication
            • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
              None Found At Time Of Publication
            • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
              None Found At Time Of Publication

            79%

            The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
            (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

            A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

            Half of Americans think Trump's guilty verdict was correct, should end campaign: POLL

            ABC NEWS SITE NAMES Name: ABC News Site Names URL: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/us-officially-blames-iran_106834435 ABC News Monday, 03 June 2024 11:29
            • Unique Points
              • A plurality of Americans, 50%, believe former President Donald Trump’s guilty verdict on all 34 counts in his hush money trial was correct.
              • Trump has vowed to appeal the verdict, claiming that ‘bad people’ had levied the case against him.
              • Forty-seven percent of Americans believe the charges against Trump in this case were politically motivated, while 51% think they were not.
            • Accuracy
              • The jury found Trump guilty on all counts at his hush money trial.
            • Deception (30%)
              The article contains selective reporting as it only reports the percentage of Americans who think Trump's guilty verdict was correct and that he should end his campaign. It does not provide any context or information about why these percentages might be or what they mean in the larger context of public opinion towards Trump and the trial. Additionally, there is emotional manipulation through phrases like 'historic criminal trial that ended this week in a first-ever conviction of a former president' and 'bad people' used to describe those involved in the trial.
              • A plurality of Americans, 50%,
            • Fallacies (80%)
              The article contains an appeal to authority fallacy when it states 'A plurality of Americans, 50%, think former President Donald Trump’s guilty verdict on all 34 counts in his hush money trial was correct.' This statement implies that the opinion of a majority of Americans is an authoritative source for determining the truth or falsehood of Trump's guilt. Additionally, there are dichotomous depictions in the article when it states 'For example, 83% of Democrats think the verdict was correct and 79% think he should end his campaign as a result, while only 16% of Republicans say the verdict was correct and the same percentage say he should end his presidential bid.' This statement oversimplifies complex political issues by presenting them as black-and-white choices.
              • ]A plurality of Americans, 50%, think former President Donald Trump’s guilty verdict on all 34 counts in his hush money trial was correct[
              • For example, 83% of Democrats think the verdict was correct and 79% think he should end his campaign as a result, while only 16% of Republicans say the verdict was correct and the same percentage say he should end his presidential bid
            • Bias (95%)
              The author uses the phrase 'bad people' to describe those involved in Trump's trial and implies that they are politically biased against Trump without providing any evidence. The author also mentions that Trump has claimed that Biden was behind the prosecution, but does not provide any evidence for this claim.
              • These are bad people. These are, in many cases, I believe, sick people.
                • Trump has also come after President Biden, claiming without evidence, that he was behind the prosecution.
                • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
                  None Found At Time Of Publication
                • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
                  None Found At Time Of Publication

                79%

                The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
                (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

                A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

                Trump verdict makes significant number of Republicans less likely to support him: poll

                Fox News Media Chris Pandolfo Monday, 03 June 2024 11:30
                • Unique Points
                  • Trump maintains his innocence despite the guilty verdict.
                  • The potential loss of Republican votes could impact Trump’s chances to win back key battleground states.
                • Accuracy
                  • A new poll conducted after Trump’s criminal conviction found that 10% of Republican voters are less likely to support him in November.
                • Deception (30%)
                  The article contains selective reporting as it only reports the number of Republicans who are less likely to support Trump after his conviction, without mentioning the larger percentage who are not affected or even more likely to support him. This creates a skewed perception for readers.
                  • The potential loss of a tenth of Republican voters could decimate the presumptive GOP nominee’s chances to win back key battleground states.
                  • > One in 10 registered GOP voters said Trump’s felony conviction for falsifying business records would make them less likely to support him for president,
                • Fallacies (85%)
                  The author makes an appeal to authority by quoting the results of a poll and stating that it reveals a split among former GOP presidential primary opponents. This is not a logical fallacy as such statements are valid to report on. However, the score cannot be higher than 85 due to this example.
                  • A new poll conducted immediately following former President Trump’s criminal conviction in New York found a significant number of Republicans say they are less likely to vote for him in November.
                  • The two-day poll was conducted hours after a jury in Manhattan on Thursday found Trump guilty on all counts brought against him by District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
                  • Among independent registered voters, 25% said Trump’s conviction made them less likely to support him in November, compared to 18% who said they were more likely and 56% who said the conviction would have no impact on their decision.
                • Bias (100%)
                  None Found At Time Of Publication
                • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
                  None Found At Time Of Publication
                • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
                  None Found At Time Of Publication