Donald trump convicted in hush money trial

 Former US president will be able to contest the presidential elections despite this conviction

The jury in New York has convicted former President Donald Trump on all 34 counts of falsifying business records in a hush money trial. This historic conviction makes Trump the first former president in U.S. history to be convicted of a crime, stemming from a payment intended to silence adult film star Stormy Daniels.

The jury's verdict came after two days of deliberations, finding that Trump falsified business records to cover up a $130,000 payment to Daniels during the 2016 election. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's prosecutors argued that this conspiracy spanned Trump's 2016 campaign and continued into his first year in the White House. Despite pleading not guilty and denying any sexual encounter with Daniels, Trump was found guilty on all counts.

Sentencing is scheduled for July 11, with New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan allowing Trump to remain free without bail until then. Despite his conviction, Trump plans to continue his campaign for the 2024 presidential election.

Trump, who maintains his innocence, has portrayed the charges as politically motivated. He criticized the trial, stating, "Mother Teresa could not beat these charges. These charges are rigged. The whole country’s a mess between the borders and fake elections and you have a trial like this where the judge is so conflicted he can’t breathe."

Strategists believe Trump is attempting to shape a narrative that portrays the case as unfair, which could benefit him by lowering public expectations in case of a conviction or allowing him to claim victory if found not guilty. Trump remarked that his campaign has not been negatively impacted by the trial, noting a lead in recent polls.

Despite the conviction, Trump remains eligible to serve as president and is expected to appeal the verdict.

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