US News: Verdicts in Donald Trump trial could be the most influential in US jury history
These verdicts from an American jury may be the most significant ever based on the personnel involved.
The guilty findings now give Donald Trump a criminal reputation with implications beyond just himself.
With the jury’s decision made, the public now must consider how this conviction will impact his presidential campaign.
Latest on Trump’s guilt: Ex-US president claims innocence
The verdicts in the New York criminal court were not guaranteed.
Trump manipulated business records to hide a $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels.
The prosecution argued that the money was part of a conspiracy to conceal their sexual encounter, which Trump denied.
If the crime was unsightly, the circumstances were not favorable for a man who once held the presidency and aims to do so again.
The story, suppressed from US voters in 2016, was exposed in testimony from Ms. Daniels herself, revealing Trump being spanked, lounging in his boxers, and saying, “Let’s get together again, Honeybunch.”
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‘This is a rigged trial’
The crucial evidence, with all its graphic detail, came from Trump’s former fixer-turned-enemy, Michael Cohen.
He connected the dots in the prosecution’s case, placing his ex-boss at the center of the scheme.
He testified that Trump orchestrated the hush money operation, prioritizing burying scandal in the lead-up to the election.
Trump supporters outside court. Pic: Reuters
In his testimony, Cohen quoted Trump as saying about the Stormy Daniels story: “Push it past the election because if I win, it doesn’t matter, and if I lose, I don’t care.”
Cohen, the key witness, faced scrutiny over his credibility as someone with his own criminal record and time spent in jail.
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In court, Trump’s defense team dubbed him the “GLOAT” – the greatest liar of all time.
The reality is that he played a significant role in his own conviction – a momentous event in legal history.
