It took only two days for the 12 jurors to find former President Donald Trump guilty on all 34 charges, a decision that came unexpectedly quickly, according to several legal experts in the U.S.
Thus, the favorite of the November political confrontation becomes the first American head of state in history to be convicted in a criminal trial.
Now, just hours after the verdict was announced, the question on everyone’s mind is what impact the decision will have on the election campaign and, ultimately, on the determination of the new U.S. president?
"The verdict is a disgrace. I am a very innocent man. And that's okay, I fight for our country. We will fight to the end and we will win. Because our country is going to hell. The real verdict will be given on November 5th by the people. And they know what happened here and everyone knows what happened here," said Donald Trump immediately after learning he was found guilty.
On July 11, the judge will announce Trump's sentence. The offenses for which he was tried fall into the category of minor crimes, and in this case, the sentences range from six months to a maximum of four years in prison.
Crime and Punishment
According to experts, Donald Trump will not end up behind bars. In determining the sentence, the judge will take into account the age of the convict, who is 77 years old, the fact that he has no criminal record, and, for example, the obstacles regarding the execution of the sentence.
Due to his status as a former U.S. president, Donald Trump is under the permanent protection of the "Secret Service," the agency responsible for the security of heads of state and their families.
The only voice that matters is that of the jury. This defendant could have been different from any other in American history, but in the end, today, the verdict was delivered in the same way as in any other case.
Alvin Bragg, the prosecutor
If he goes to prison, government agents are legally required to accompany and protect him, and the situation involves certain arrangements.
Most likely, Donald Trump will be punished with certain restrictions, for example, he may receive a ban from leaving the state of New York for a certain period. Such a punishment would end Donald Trump's election campaign and throw the Republican Party into chaos, one that is already quite close.
Also, the leader of American conservatives may be required by the judge to participate in certain reeducation and reintegration activities or to perform community service.
Nothing Can Stop Trump Except the Vote on November 5
After the jurors' decision, for Trump's campaign and his attempt to return to the White House, the specifics of the sentence no longer matter much. Either way, it will put him in a politically difficult situation, just like the verdict.
"Donald Trump has always erroneously believed that he will never face consequences for breaking the law. But today's verdict will not change the fact that the American people will face a simple reality. There is only one way to keep Donald Trump out of the Oval Office: the vote. Convicted criminal or not, Trump will be the Republican candidate for president," said Mike Tyler, President Joe Biden's campaign manager.
Judge Juan Manuel Merchan will appear before the Court and read the sentence on July 11, according to the announcement made by him after the jurors read the verdict.
The event, one that is expected to be extremely tense due to the political polarization in the U.S., will take place four days before the start of the Republican Convention, an assembly where the party will make the official nomination of the candidate for the U.S. presidency.
Today is a shameful day in American history. Democrats applauded when the leader of the opposing party was convicted based on ridiculous charges, relying on the testimony of a criminal, disbarred from the bar. This was a purely political exercise, not a legal one
Mike Johnson, leader of the House Republicans
As Trump easily won the internal elections, his appointment was supposed to be a formality. But the situation created by the conviction will generate strong debates within the party; however, he is most likely to secure the nomination.
Victimization, a Campaign Weapon
Although, according to sociological studies conducted before the verdict, the jurors' decision will not have a major impact on Trump's supporters, between 2 and 4% of those who said they vote for the Republican leader also stated that his possible conviction will influence their decision.
Although it may not seem like much, and Trump's campaign will rely on victimization and presenting himself as a "political convict," the trial, the jurors' decision, and the sentence will have an impact on undecided voters.
Donald Trump can run and potentially reach the White House. There is no prohibition in U.S. legislation for a convicted felon to hold the position of head of state, and despite his legal issues, his race to the White House can only be stopped by his own party or, if it does not, by the citizens called to vote on November 5.
Donald Trump was tried for multiple offenses related to falsifying payment orders to transfer $130,000 from his electoral campaign funds to Stormy Daniels, a porn star with whom he had an affair.
The Teflon Candidate
Donald Trump's conviction will fundamentally change the entire electoral campaign of the two candidates and is presumed to lead to some shifts in voting options, one way or another.
Donald Trump is considered a politician who can get out of any situation, having so far managed to postpone the trials he faces.
There are three important cases pending in the courts, one in Washington, where he is being tried for the January 6 insurrection, one in Florida for the illegal possession of classified documents, and one in Georgia for interfering in the vote counting process.