Thursday, May 30th, 2024, history was made when the first time in United States history that a president has ever faced something like this, the 45th President Donald Trump, was found guilty of 34 felonies in his hush money trial in New York. Will this affect the 2024 election?
So what happens now?
Sentencing is scheduled for July 11th. Trump is the front-running candidate for the republican party in the 2024 presidential election. Despite his conviction, he is still eligible to run for office and could still potentially win the presidential election.Â
Am I happy he was found guilty?
Yes, and here’s why: After decades of his behavior that suggested that he believed he was, and still is, above the law and that he could get away with anything, Donald Trump has finally been held accountable. This conviction marks possibly the first time in his adult life that he faces real consequences for his actions. Donald Trump will always be the first U.S. president who was convicted of a crime even if this gets overturned.Â
Will this impact the upcoming election in November?
Only time will tell. Trump still has other cases pending, and we most likely won’t learn the outcome until after the election. He could very well be president again. That thought scares me to death. We know his rhetoric from his past run-in the White House the first time around. And I think it will definitely be worse this time.Â
It’s crucial to keep this event in mind when planning to vote this November, no matter what party you’re in. My hope is that as individuals and collectively as a society, we start to see people take accountability seriously no matter who they are and what power they hold in office.Â
Does this change anything?
I don’t believe this verdict will change anything for Trump’s base and his supporters. In fact, I think it will rile them up even more. As so many people on the right are already calling this an outrageous decision, saying that he was unjustly accused of something that some say he did not do, and others in America, myself included, are happy about this decision.Â
Whether you believe he is guilty or not, this is yet another unprecedented event, I hope will never happen again. I really hope that this event will be a turning point in how we see politicians and the justice system as a whole moving forward.
Featured image via Natilyn Photography on Unsplash
