Donald Trump becomes the first ever former US president convicted of a crime after a New York jury found him guilty in a hush money crime on Thursday. Reportedly, he was found guilty of illegally influencing the 2016 election through a hush money payment to a porn actor. The judge, Juan M. Merchan, set Trump’s sentencing for July 11, at which point he could be sentenced to as much as four years behind bars or to probation.
Trump, however, is not barred from continuing his battle to unseat President Joe Biden in November, even in the unlikely event that he goes to prison. And he voiced immediate defiance. On Thursday, Trump told reporters that he is an innocent man and that the “real verdict” will come from the voters.
In response to this, the Biden Campaign issued a statement and said, “No one is above the law.” It added that “the threat Trump poses to our democracy has never been greater.”
The trial court has set the date for sentencing as July 11, days after the Republicans are scheduled to choose him as the 2024 nominee. Reportedly, Trump also faces federal and state charges of conspiring to revise the results of the 2020 election won by Biden and for hoarding secret documents after leaving the White House.
The Case: Election Conspiracy
Trump was convicted of falsifying business records to reimburse his previous attorney, Michael Cohen, for a $130,000 payment to Daniels on the eve of the 2016 election, when her claim to have had sex with him could have proved fatal to his campaign against Hillary Clinton.
Prosecutors alleged that hush money and the illegal covering up of the payment were part of a broader crime to prevent voters from knowing about Trump’s behavior.
Cohen, the key witness in the case, called the verdict “”an important day for accountability and the rule of law.” Meanwhile, Trump denied the sexual encounter with Daniel, and his lawyers argued that any payments made to the performer were entirely legal.
Reactions of the Supporters
Supporters of former President Donald Trump, enraged by his conviction on 34 felony counts by a New York jury, flooded pro-Trump websites with calls for riots, revolutions, and violent retribution.
After Donald Trump became the first ever US president to be convicted of a crime, his supporters reportedly flooded the online platforms with their posts. According to the report by Reuters, some called for attacks on jurors, the execution of the judge, Justice Juan Merchan, or outright civil war and armed insurrection.
