Former President Trump Convicted of 34 Felony Counts in Hush Money Trial: Implications for the Upcoming Election

New York City, New York United States of America
Conviction relates to falsifying business records regarding hush money payments to Stormy Daniels.
Former President Trump was convicted on all 34 felony counts in his hush money trial on May 30, 2024.
Trump plans to attend Republican National Convention and pursue White House nomination despite conviction.
Former President Trump Convicted of 34 Felony Counts in Hush Money Trial: Implications for the Upcoming Election

In a historic turn of events, former President Donald Trump was convicted on all 34 felony counts in his hush money trial on Thursday, May 30, 2024. The conviction marks the end of a six-week long trial and brings about significant implications for the upcoming election. Here's what you need to know.

What Happened? Donald Trump was convicted in a New York courtroom on charges of falsifying business records related to hush money payments made to Stormy Daniels, a porn actor who claimed she had an affair with Trump in 2006. The conviction came after testimony from Michael Cohen, Trump's former attorney and fixer, who admitted to facilitating the payments.

Implications for the Election? The conviction does not bar Trump from continuing his pursuit of the White House. He plans to hold a news conference at 11 a.m. ET on May 31, 2024, and is expected to attend the Republican National Convention on July 18-21, where he will likely be nominated as the party's nominee for president in the November election.

Voting Rights? Despite being convicted of a felony and residing in Florida, Trump can still vote as long as he stays out of prison in New York state. Florida defers to other states' disenfranchisement rules for residents convicted of out-of-state felonies. In Trump's case, New York law only removes the right to vote for people convicted of felonies when they're incarcerated.

Reactions? Trump expressed his disappointment and called the trial 'rigged and disgraceful.' The Republican National Committee is run by his loyalists, including his daughter-in-law Lara Trump as co-chair. There's no evidence of a significant faction within the party trying to replace him on the ticket.

Background? Trump was indicted in August 2023 and pleaded not guilty. The trial began on January 17, 2024, and lasted six weeks. The jury took ten hours to reach their decision.

What's Next? Sentencing is scheduled for July 11, just days before the Republican National Convention. Trump also faces three more criminal cases in New York and Georgia related to business dealings and efforts to overturn the 2020 election results.



Confidence

91%

Doubts
  • Was there any undue influence on the jury during the trial?
  • Were all relevant evidence and witnesses presented during the trial?

Sources

94%

  • Unique Points
    • Donald Trump may be convicted of a felony and reside in Florida, but he can still vote as long as he stays out of prison in New York state.
  • Accuracy
    • Donald Trump was convicted on 34 felony counts in his hush money trial
    • Trump may face prison time, but the length and certainty of any sentence is uncertain
    • Trump can still vote for himself in Florida as long as he stays out of prison in New York state
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

62%

  • Unique Points
    • Donald Trump’s first act after being convicted in his first criminal trial was to launch a hostile attack on the rule of law.
    • ,
  • Accuracy
    • Trump’s conviction affirmed the principle that everyone is equal and no one, not even a billionaire and former president, enjoys impunity.
    • Top Republicans quickly joined Trump in assaulting the justice system following his guilty verdict.
    • President Joe Biden’s campaign stated that the ultimate judgment on Trump will come in the general election.
    • Trump’s conviction by a unanimous New York jury was seen as a personal anguish and national test for him, given his high chance of becoming the next president.
    • The hush money case against Trump is one of four criminal cases entangled with the 2024 presidential election and likely to see a jury before the election.
    • Trump’s conviction could influence voters in the upcoming election, potentially energizing his loyal base and causing jubilation among his critics.
    • If Trump’s guilty verdict motivates his supporters, it could be remembered as the day Biden lost the election.
    • The legal system will join the electoral system as another essential institution of American governance viewed as illegitimate by millions of citizens if Trump is elected again.
    • Trump’s attempt to stay in power after losing the 2020 election shows he will do what it takes to save himself, even if it hurts democratic institutions.
    • CNN’s presidential historian Timothy Naftali warned that every Republican would be forced to put the legal system at the center of their 2024 campaigns, potentially causing further instability in an already sensitive country.
  • Deception (30%)
    The article contains emotional manipulation and sensationalism. The author uses phrases like 'raging new attack', 'gravity of the choice awaiting America's voters', 'authoritarian outburst', and 'threat to our democracy has never been greater'. These phrases are designed to elicit strong emotions from readers, making the article more engaging and potentially more persuasive. The author also uses sensational language like 'convicted felon or not, Trump will be the Republican nominee for president' and 'the threat Trump poses to our democracy has never been greater'. These statements are not factual and are intended to create a sense of urgency and alarm.
    • The threat Trump poses to our democracy has never been greater.
    • The former president can be indicted and found guilty by a group of his peers. And that shows the strength of our system.
  • Fallacies (85%)
    The author makes an appeal to authority by quoting the opinions of various individuals and organizations, but does not commit any formal or informal fallacies in his own assertions. However, he uses inflammatory rhetoric when describing Trump's actions and the potential implications of his conviction. For example, he describes Trump's reaction as a 'raging new attack on the rule of law,' and states that 'Americans have never seen an ex-president convicted of a crime.' These statements are not fallacious, but they do contain emotional language that may influence readers.
    • ]The threat Trump poses to our democracy has never been greater.[/
    • But in truth, this is a somber and even tragic passage of US history.
    • Trump had pleaded not guilty in a trial that is one of four criminal cases entangled with the 2024 presidential election and the only one likely to see a jury before the election.
    • Among an electorate that Trump has constantly polarized, the verdict is likely to be greeted with fury by his supporters and jubilation by his critics.
    • That is going to create, in my view, a torrent of poison that will be likely worse than we saw in the ‘Stop the Steal’ campaign that preceded January 6.
    • This suggests that any Trump second term would feature even fewer constraints than his wild first one.
  • Bias (5%)
    The author expresses a clear bias towards Trump and his actions, using language that depicts him as a 'convicted felon' and 'former and possibly future president', implying that his conviction is significant in the political landscape. The author also uses language like 'authoritarian outburst' to describe Trump's reaction to the verdict, which could be seen as an attempt to delegitimize him further.
    • Among an electorate that Trump has constantly polarized, the verdict is likely to be greeted with fury by his supporters and jubilation by his critics. But in truth, this is a somber and even tragic passage of US history.
      • But Trump’s conviction by a unanimous New York jury was the most painful low of a tumultuous life of denying accountability that has seen financial boom and bust, three marriages, television stardom, frequent brushes with the law, the triumph of his outsider 2016 election win, a norm-shattering presidency and an attempt to destroy democracy to stay in power after losing in 2020.
        • The danger is acute because with his attempt to stay in power after losing the 2020 election, Trump has already shown he will do what it takes to save himself, even if his actions catastrophically hurt democratic institutions.
          • Trump had pleaded not guilty in a trial that is one of four criminal cases entangled with the 2024 presidential election and the only one likely to see a jury before the election. Responses to any motions from the defense in the hush money case are due by June 27 – the day of the first presidential debate, hosted by CNN.
          • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication
          • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication

          92%

          • Unique Points
            • Michael Cohen expressed not being surprised by Donald Trump’s guilty verdict on all 34 felony charges in the article's source
            • Trump pleaded not guilty and denied all wrongdoing after the verdict was read in the article's source
          • Accuracy
            • Trump pleaded not guilty and denied all wrongdoing after the verdict was read
            • Sentencing for Trump is scheduled for July 11, before the Republican National Convention
            • Trump may face prison time, but the length and certainty of any sentence is uncertain
          • Deception (100%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication
          • Fallacies (100%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication
          • 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

          84%

          • Unique Points
            • Trump held a rally in the Bronx and declared he would turn New York City around quickly.
            • Trump held a massive rally in Wildwood, N.J., drawing between 80,000 and 100,0 people to support him.
          • Accuracy
            • Former President Trump was found guilty on all 34 counts of falsifying business records in New York v. Trump.
            • ,
            • Trump held a rally in Wildwood, N.J., drawing between 80,000 and 100,0 people to support him.
          • Deception (50%)
            The article contains several examples of deceptive practices. The author uses emotional manipulation by describing the courtroom as 'freezing' multiple times and implying that Trump was unfairly confined there. She also engages in selective reporting by only mentioning the guilty verdict against Trump without providing any context or details about the charges or evidence presented during the trial. Additionally, she quotes Karoline Leavitt making assertions about Biden and Democrats without providing any evidence to support these claims.
            • The former president railed against the judge and Democrats daily for confining him to the courtroom, repeatedly telling reporters and supporters it was ‘freezing’ and like being stuck in a ‘freezing cold icebox.’
            • Crooked Joe Biden and the Democrats confined President Trump to a courtroom for more than eight hours a day for more than six weeks, and he’s still winning.
            • We’re going to come in. No. 1, you have to stop crime, and we’re going to let the police do their job. They have to be given back their authority. They have to be able to do their job.
            • TRUMP GUILTY ON ALL COUNTS IN NEW YORK CRIMINAL TRIAL
            • As you can see today, we’re expanding the electoral map because … we’re going to win the state of New Jersey.
          • Fallacies (100%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication
          • Bias (95%)
            The author, Brooke Singman, demonstrates ideological bias towards former President Trump by portraying him in a positive light and criticizing the New York City court system and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. The author uses language that depicts the trial as a 'witch hunt' and an attempt to confine Trump, while also implying that it has had a reverse effect on his campaign by increasing his popularity.
            • And that day was the day the former president decided the criminal trial could actually have a 'reverse effect'.
              • As you can see today, we’re expanding the electoral map because … we’re going to win the state of New Jersey.
                • I'm here tonight to declare we are going to turn New York City around, and we are going to turn it around very, very quickly.
                  • The former president railed against the judge and Democrats daily for confining him to the courtroom, repeatedly telling reporters and supporters it was 'freezing' and like being stuck in a 'freezing cold icebox'.
                    • TRUMP GUILTY ON ALL COUNTS IN NEW YORK CRIMINAL TRIAL Former President Trump, a Republican presidential candidate, hosts a campaign stop at Sanaa convenience store in the Harlem section of New York City April 16, 2024. (Reuters/Adam Gray) "Crooked Joe Biden and the Democrats confined President Trump to a courtroom for more than eight hours a day for more than six weeks, and he’s still winning."
                    • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
                      None Found At Time Of Publication
                    • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
                      None Found At Time Of Publication

                    96%

                    • Unique Points
                      • Donald Trump may be convicted of a felony and reside in Florida, but he can still vote as long as he stays out of prison in New York state.
                    • Accuracy
                      • Donald Trump was convicted on 34 felony counts in a historic hush money trial.
                      • Trump plans to hold a news conference at 11 a.m. ET after his conviction.
                    • Deception (100%)
                      None Found At Time Of Publication
                    • Fallacies (100%)
                      None Found At Time Of Publication
                    • Bias (100%)
                      None Found At Time Of Publication
                    • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
                      None Found At Time Of Publication
                    • Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
                      None Found At Time Of Publication