A New York jury on Thursday convicted former US President Donald Trump of all 34 charges against him in the case of illegally paying money to buy the silence of a pornographic film actress, in a seismic development that comes just 5 months before the presidential elections in which he seeks to return to the White House.
After two days of deliberation, a 12-member jury unanimously found Trump guilty on all charges. Unanimity was required for each guilty verdict.
Consequently, the Republican billionaire becomes the first former US president to face a criminal conviction. However, this ruling does not hinder him from continuing his election campaign.
The judge set July 11 as the date for pronouncing the sentence against Trump.
Commenting on the conviction, Trump said that this ruling against him was a “disgrace,” adding that the “real ruling” would be issued by voters on November 5, the date of the US presidential elections.
Trump added that the ruling against him was “corrupt, issued by a controversial judge, and this battle is not over yet.”
At 77, Trump denies any wrongdoing and is anticipated to appeal the ruling.
This ruling pushes the United States into an unprecedented situation ahead of the presidential elections scheduled for November 5, when Trump will seek to overcome Democratic President Joe Biden in order to return to the White House.
The maximum sentence Trump may face is 4 years in prison, but those convicted of such a crime are usually given shorter sentences or face fines or are placed on probation.
It is noteworthy that 25% of Republicans indicated that they would most likely vote for Trump if the jury convicted him, while 27% of Democrats reduced the possibility of voting in his favor, which reflects the depth of the division on a partisan basis, and confirms the extreme partisan views regarding the politicization of the trial. Trump.
An opinion poll – conducted by National Radio and the Public Broadcasting Corporation – reported that the trial and its results would not change the position of 67% of voters, and that the guilty verdict, if it occurs, will not have any impact on those who plan to vote for Trump in the upcoming presidential elections.
