The Trump hush-money trial has entered its final act
Image: Dave Sanders/Getty
Closing arguments were held yesterday in the New York criminal trial of Donald Trump, with the 12-member jury now tasked with deliberating the fate of the first former US president to face criminal charges.
Background: The case centers around allegations that Trump broke the law by covering up a $130,000 hush-money payment made months before the 2016 election to a woman who said she had an affair with Trump a decade prior. Michael Cohen, Trump’s former personal lawyer, previously pleaded guilty to campaign finance violations for making the hush-money payment.
- Trump is facing 34 Class E felony counts – the lowest level of felony – over accusations that 34 separate business records were falsified to cover up the payment.
- Under New York law, such actions are classified as misdemeanors unless they’re carried out to commit or conceal another crime.
The arguments
Over the past four weeks, prosecutors have laid out their case that felony charges are warranted because Cohen's payment acted as an illegal personal donation to Trump’s 2016 campaign, representing ~50x the legal contribution limit at the time.
- On the flip side, Trump has denied having an affair with the woman or being involved in the cover-up. His lawyers have also targeted the credibility of Cohen, who they described as the "MVP of liars,” and argued that New York prosecutors have miscast minor charges as a sweeping election conspiracy.
Looking ahead… Today marks the start of jury deliberations, which could last anywhere from a few hours to a few weeks. Trump faces up to four years in prison for each count – though first-time offenders typically avoid any jail time.
- When it comes to the presidential election, Trump’s case isn’t expected to have any legal impact on his campaign – even if he’s convicted. But a verdict in either direction will likely have a large political impact heading into November.
📊 Flash poll: In your opinion, should Donald Trump be convicted on some or all charges in his New York hush-money trial?
See a 360° view of what media pundits are saying →
Sprinkles from the Left
- Some commentators argue that regardless of what the jury decides, Republican lawmakers’ embrace of Trump during the trial – compared to more GOP pushback in 2016 – have revealed that the party is now completely dominated by Trump and his supporters.
- Others contend that if a jury does find Trump guilty, the judge overseeing the case should treat him like any other defendant in his position, and forgo sentencing him to jail and all the controversy that would follow.
- “The Trump hush money trial shows how far the GOP has fallen” –WaPo Editorial Board
- “If Trump is found guilty he should not go to jail” –William Cooper, Florida Sun-Sentinel
- “How will the Trump verdict shape the 2024 election?” –Alexi McCammond, WaPo
Sprinkles from the Right
- Some commentators argue that New York prosecutors have failed to conclusively prove that the felony charges against Trump are warranted, and the jury shouldn’t vote to convict Trump on such flimsy evidence.
- Others contend that the case brought by New York prosecutors is clearly a specious legal argument in service of political ends, and that even if Trump is exonerated he won’t be able to get back the time or resources he’s wasted fighting this case.
- “Alvin Bragg Hasn’t Proved His Case in the Trump Trial” –WSJ Editorial Board
- “The Tawdriest Political Dirty Trick” –Rich Lowry, National Review
- “Here’s why the case against Trump should end in ‘not guilty’” –Jonathan Turley, NY Post
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