3 things about the Trump conviction that should be getting more attention

Former President Donald Trump walks to make comments to members of the media.

May 31, 2024 5:51 AM PT

Good morning. It’s Friday, May 31. I am Anita Chabria, a columnist and the host of our politics newsletter. Here’s what you need to know to start your day.

The 3 things that should get more attention from Trump’s conviction
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3 points to consider: The heroes, the politics and what’s really next

Welp, that’s done.

Unless you are dead, you’ve been bombarded with the news of former-President Donald Trump’s perfect 34: Guilty on all counts.

Will this be our generation’s where-were-you-when-Kennedy-was-shot moment? Because I was getting a boba, and really need to work on my own lies if we’re going to be telling this story at parties.

But now Trump is truly a man of convictions. On July 11, he’ll get his sentence. Expect endless punditry about that for the next couple months. But the truth is, Judge Juan Merchan probably doesn’t know himself for certain, and will spend many serious hours considering between now and then.

I’m not going to rehash all the points you’re already hearing, but I’ve got three that maybe should be getting more attention but aren’t — the heroes, the politics and what’s really next.

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First, the heroes. Let’s start with the jury.

Can you imagine the pressure? These seven men and five women were serious . They took notes. They kept their faces poker. They deliberated for 12 hours and then did what had to be one of the most stressful and scary things in their lives: Convicted a man who literally has an army of trolls (and insurrectionists) at his disposal.

Because they believed he was guilty.

Their names will likely eventually come out and their lives will be turned upside down. But these twelve ordinary Americans deserve to go down in the history books for taking democracy seriously enough to serve on the toughest of juries with integrity and care.

I am also giving a shout-out to Michael Cohen and Stormy Daniels. Yes, Cohen was a lying fixer who fixed things that should have been left broken. But he’s the ultimate New Yorker — the guy you messed with because you thought he was too little to fight back.

Fuhgeddaboudit. He knows even.

Michael Cohen testifies on the witness stand

And Stormy Daniels. Her husband Barrett Blade went on CNN to let us know that she’s “still pretty stoic” and “processing.” But without her, I am not sure Cohen would have been enough.

Daniels has stood up to the bullying and shaming throughout this, and those guilty verdicts are a sign that the jury believed she was telling the truth — which, frankly, was obvious. But she deserves the acknowledgment that her believable story was in fact believable.

Stormy Daniels testifies on the witness stand

Okay, the politics. Trump is already fundraising off this. He’s declared himself a “political prisoner.”

Paging Brittney Griner. You want to explain that to him?

There were reports that Trump’s fundraising website crashed in the hours after the verdict from so many donors. And Silicon Valley tech bros (who are hosting a Trump fundraiser next week) also jumped on board, apparently thrilled with any candidate that doesn’t come with societal norms or self-awareness.

Venture Capitalist Shaun Maguire (who lists “quantum space crypto security” as a profession) announced on whatever we now call Twitter that he’d given Trump $300,000 and the “timing isn’t a coincidence.”

So being a felon is cool to his supporters. Big surprise.

But he is a felon.

So what happens next, for real?

I said this before, but I would be shocked if Merchan sentenced Trump to prison. Probation is far more likely.

Even that is likely to be contested. Trump will appeal — probably all the way to the Supreme Court if he doesn’t get what he wants, which is to overturn the conviction. That will take months if not years, and his sentence will likely be on hold until that process is done.

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But in the meantime, his biggest get-out-of-jail card is winning the election. While a felon can’t vote for a president in his home state of Florida, nothing prevents one from serving if elected.

And if elected, Trump will likely argue that the federal law that governs his duties supersedes state law — which it does.

The state’s rights guy could argue that any sentence, even probation, needs to be pushed at least until after he finishes his four years in the Oval Office.

So, no, folks. Trump isn’t going to jail or even getting fitted for an ankle monitor.

But if just a few nice folks in places such as Wisconsin and Michigan think twice before voting for a felon, Trump might lose on more than 34 counts.

More on Trump’s conviction:

The jury has spoken. What happens next will be a great test of American democracy, Lorraine Ali writes.
‘Outrageous!’ ‘Tears of Joy.’ Hollywood reacts to Trump’s guilty verdict with rage, rapture.
Many political experts predict that the Trump verdict will do little to alter the dynamic in his race against President Biden.
At Trump hotel in Las Vegas, supporters are undeterred by guilty verdict: ‘I don’t care’

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Commentary and opinions

Sammy Roth: Gavin Newsom is a climate champion. Why did he just crush community solar?
Mark Z. Barabak: These 80-something senators are gliding to reelection. Did Feinstein face a double-standard?
Michael Hiltzik: Is UCLA ‘a failed medical school’? Debunking a dumb right-wing meme.
Frank Shyong: Chili crisp capitalism meets a new wave of Asian American cynicism.
Editorial board: Even before guilty verdict, Trump was unfit to serve.

Today’s great reads

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She’s likely to be Mexico’s next president. Can she save the country from cartel violence? The front-runner in Mexico’s presidential election brought down crime as Mexico City mayor. Can Claudia Sheinbaum save Mexico from rampant violence?

Other great reads

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