After several weeks of trial, former President of the United States Donald Trump was found guilty in Manhattan Criminal Court in New York. Here is what we can say to summarize this affair which has shocked part of America.
The long trial of Donald Trump
Since April 15, Donald Trump has been on trial for 34 counts of falsifying accounting documents, intended to hide a payment of $130,000 to former porn actress Stormy Daniels. This sum was paid to avoid a sex scandal at the very end of his 2016 presidential campaign. Judge Juan Merchan led this long trial during which numerous witnesses appeared, including Stormy Daniels and Michael Cohen, his former lawyer. Having become the sworn enemy of Donald Trump, Michael Cohen was at the heart of the affair for having made the payment to the former porn star.
For six tumultuous weeks, during which Donald Trump was not allowed to speak, the twelve members of the jury withdrew to deliberate. After two days of discussion, the jurors unanimously voted to find Donald Trump guilty of all 34 counts. This is the first time that an American president has been convicted by a criminal court.
When will the sentence be handed down?
Judge Juan Merchan set the sentencing date for July 11 at 10 a.m., a few days before Donald Trump was chosen as the official candidate of the Republican Party (GOP) at its National Convention. From the moment the sentence is announced, the accused and his lawyers will be able to appeal the decision. Donald Trump has already made it known that he will appeal.
The sentence is left to the discretion of Judge Juan Merchan. The former president of the United States faces a prison sentence of up to four years or probation. Many experts believe that in the absence of a criminal record, he should instead be given a suspended sentence or community service. Even if sentenced to prison, Donald Trump could try to run for a second term. If elected, he could even rule the country from his cell, because no text in the Constitution prohibits this.
What are the main reactions?
On Thursday, just after his conviction, Donald Trump presented himself as a “political prisoner” and launched a fundraiser which raised $34.8 million in a few hours. “I have just been convicted in a rigged political trial akin to a witch hunt,” he protested. Friday, in the lobby of Trump Tower in New York, he accused Joe Biden and his “gang” of being “sick” and “fascists”. “We would have wanted a fair trial, but we didn’t get it. Our witnesses have been crucified,” he insisted.
For his part, Joe Biden spoke about the condemnation of Donald Trump during a press conference on the subject of the Middle East. “It’s reckless, it’s dangerous, it’s irresponsible for anyone to say a trial was rigged just because they don’t like the verdict,” he said. Earlier in the day, on his X account, Joe Biden explained that Donald Trump “threatens our democracy”. “He first questioned our electoral system. Then he questioned our justice system. And now you can stop it,” he wrote, addressing American voters.
Abroad, several leaders have taken up the cause of the former president, like Viktor Orban (Hungary) and Matteo Salvini (Italy). In Russia, the Kremlin denounced “the elimination of political adversaries” in the United States. “An elimination of political adversaries is underway by all possible legal and illegal means, this is obvious,” declared Russian presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.
