Trump found guilty but, facing Biden, could still win back the White House

When a Manhattan jury convicted Donald Trump of all 34 felony counts in the hush money case yesterday, it was, of course, a historic moment involving the former president of the United States.

But he also might become the next president of the United States.

Even if Trump were in prison, there is nothing to stop him from running and winning.

Manhattan district attorney who sued Trump celebrates victory after verdict: ‘I did my job’

Another way of looking at it is that President Biden may still not be able to defeat a man who has been convicted on criminal charges, which is why, as Politico reported, Democratic leaders are quietly panicking at the prospect that their leader may not win another term.

Speaking to reporters outside the courthouse, Trump appeared genuinely upset by the guilty verdict, calling it a disgrace, repeating his attacks on Judge Juan Marchan and saying the real test would come in November.

Trump’s base may be largely unmoved at this point, and he has consistently emphasized that this case, over Michael Cohen’s $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels, and the three other indictments stem from the Biden administration’s weaponization of law enforcement.

Even though it took the jury just 11 hours to find the former president guilty on all charges, the majority will likely side with the defendant.

The justices are scheduled to rule on July 11, just days before the Republican National Convention, which will confirm Trump’s third nomination.

The Biden campaign quickly issued a statement saying, “No one is above the law.”

Trump says thousands of supporters cheered him “like crazy” after verdict was announced

“Donald Trump has always mistakenly believed that he could break the law for his own self-interest and not face punishment. But today’s verdict does not change the simple reality facing the American people: The only way to keep Donald Trump from the Oval Office is through the ballot box. With or without a conviction, Trump will continue to be the Republican nominee for president.”

We both agree on that point.

Former President Donald Trump appears in Manhattan Criminal Court in New York, Thursday, May 30, 2024. The jury verdict in Donald Trump’s hush money criminal trial is entering its second day, with jurors grappling with the crucial task of assessing the former president’s guilt or innocence along with the facts of the case. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, Poole)

Pre-trial polling suggested that about a third of Republicans would be less likely to support Trump if he was convicted of the criminal charges. But now that that’s happened, is that still true?

Given the tight contests in battleground states, even a change of mind by 2 percent of Republicans about Trump could affect the outcome.

Biden campaign reacts to Trump’s guilty verdict

But most Democrats seem to have concluded that Biden, 81, does not have the mental or physical strength to serve another four years as president.

Convicting Trump will do nothing to alleviate the Democrats’ liabilities, such as inflation or a weak border.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg speaks during a press conference in New York on May 30, 2024, following the conviction in the criminal trial of former US President Donald Trump, who was charged with falsifying business records to hide money paid to silence porn actress Stormy Daniels in 2016. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid (Reuters)

Despite eight hours of closing arguments and confusing, overlapping instructions to the jury by Marchan, the jury chose to believe the fairly flimsy case put together by District Attorney Alvin Bragg.

The judge said the defendants could not be convicted based on Michael Cohen’s testimony unless corroborating evidence was found. The jury clearly concluded that such corroboration was found in the testimony of witnesses such as David Pecker and Hope Hicks, as well as the trove of emails, text messages, and bank records. Trump’s defense did not introduce any documentary evidence, including 11 refund checks signed by the president, because it failed to present a different version of the case.

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This means the country remains as divided as ever. This is either the most blatant political persecution in American history or an unprecedented attempt to hold a former leader accountable.

Trump will obviously appeal, and history will judge.