Former U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Friday that he will appeal the unprecedented guilty verdict against him, but he stated that this step can only be taken after the court’s ruling on July 11.
The guilty verdict by the jury on Thursday made Trump the first U.S. president and presidential candidate to be convicted, setting a precedent in American history.
What kind of punishment will Trump receive? Will the punishment hinder his campaign? If Trump wins, will the punishment hinder his inauguration? All these questions will only be answered after July 11.
Currently, strategists from both parties are predicting whether the verdict will have a significant impact on the presidential election.
A few days after Trump’s sentencing on July 11, the Republican Party will officially nominate him as the presidential candidate at the convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
According to Reuters, Trump spoke at the Trump Tower in Manhattan on Friday, reiterating that his trial was “manipulated” in an attempt to hinder his comeback and return to the White House.
Trump warned that the judgment against him shows that no American is immune from politically motivated prosecutions. In his 33-minute speech, he said, “If they can do this to me, they can do it to anyone.” His words were met with applause from his supporters.
He declared, “We will appeal this fraud.”
From the day of the sentencing on July 11, Trump will have 30 days to file a notice of appeal. Any punishment may be delayed until the appeal process is concluded.
House Speaker Mike Johnson predicted that the Supreme Court would ultimately overturn the verdict. He said on Fox News, “I believe they will correct the mistake, but it will take some time.”
President Joe Biden of the Democratic Party stated that Trump has had the opportunity to defend himself in the justice system that applies to all Americans.
He threatened, “Anyone who claims that a verdict is manipulated simply because they don’t like the outcome is reckless, dangerous, and irresponsible.”
The jury ultimately found Trump guilty of 34 criminal charges, including falsifying business records, namely creating documents to cover up hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels, illegally influencing the 2016 election.
Although in New York, falsifying business records is usually considered a misdemeanor punishable by up to four years in prison, other offenders convicted of this crime usually receive shorter sentences, fines, or probation.
However, the prosecutors in the office of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg elevated the case to a felony based on Trump’s concealment of illegal campaign contributions.
Former New York prosecutor Rebecca Roiphe stated that Trump publicly criticized jurors and witnesses during the trial, which led Judge Juan Merchan to impose a $10,000 fine on him, suggesting that the judge may impose a harsher punishment.
The jury found Trump guilty of falsifying business documents, a crime that did not necessarily have a direct connection to whether Trump actually had a sexual relationship with Stormy Daniels. Nevertheless, Daniels testified during the trial, providing explicit testimony that she had a sexual encounter with Trump in 2006 when he was already married to his current wife, Melania.
Trump denied having a sexual relationship with Daniels.
In an opinion poll conducted by Reuters/Ipsos in April, one-quarter of Republican respondents said that if the jury convicted Trump of a felony, they would not vote to support him.
In the critical battleground state of Georgia, retiree Wendell Hill, 65, stated that the verdict would not cause him to abandon Trump. He said, “I still don’t understand what crime he [Trump] actually committed; it’s all being politicized.”
However, longtime Republican voter Carol Cuba, 77, told Reuters that she is very disapproving of Trump and has decided to switch to the Democratic Party. She said, “This is the first time in my life that I am considering voting for the dark side.”
Trump’s campaign team reported that within 24 hours of the guilty verdict, they raised $52.8 million online. Several major Republican donors stated that even though the verdict was reached, they would continue to donate to Trump’s campaign activities.
A source familiar with Trump’s campaign team’s internal affairs told Reuters that the verdict is expected to prompt Trump to seriously consider selecting a female candidate as his running mate to prepare for any contingencies.
Trump currently faces four criminal indictments, including the New York hush money case, mishandling of classified documents, attempting to overturn the national presidential election results, and attempting to overturn the Georgia election results. The judgment in the New York hush money case may be the only decision made before the November election, while the other three cases remain embroiled in legal disputes.
In all four cases, Trump has pleaded not guilty, claiming that they are all politically motivated.
(This article is based on reporting from Reuters.)