Trump recently held a press conference at Trump Tower in New York, just a day after a New York jury convicted him on 34 felony charges. Despite the serious nature of the verdict, Trump, now the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, attempted to pivot his campaign messaging.
In interviews, Trump hinted that being put under house arrest for his involvement in the hush money scandal might push Americans to their “breaking point.” He expressed doubts about the public’s tolerance for such a scenario, saying, “I’m not sure the public would stand for it.”
Last week, former President Trump was convicted on all 34 counts of in New York falsifying business records, marking an unprecedented moment as he became the first former U.S. president to be a convicted felon. The charges were allegedly related to a complicated scheme involving reimbursements to Michael Cohen, who was previously Donald Trump’s fixer and attorney. In 2016, Cohen had “paid off” porn star Stormy Daniels to prevent her from publicly revealing an alleged affair with Trump.
According to the court documents, the falsified records were part of an effort to conceal these payments and misrepresent them as legitimate legal expenses, thus violating state law. Trump has insisted he did nothing wrong. “I pay a lawyer — he wasn’t a fixer. He was a lawyer at the time. I pay a lawyer. And he’s a lawyer. It’s called a legal expense.”
Sentencing is set for July 11, just before the Republican National Convention. Trump’s legal team plans to appeal. Trump’s team has argued against incarceration, citing its rarity for first-time offenders convicted of such charges in New York. Trump himself maintains his innocence, claiming the trial and conviction were unfair.
Despite his legal troubles, Trump remains narrowly ahead of President Biden in national polls, which he eagerly highlights as a sign of his continued support.
