In a historic turn of events, last Thursday, Donald Trump, the former United States President, was found guilty by a New York jury on an unprecedented 34 counts surrounding a case that was all centered around a secretive $130,000 payment to ex-porn star, Stormy Daniels. The jury was successfully convinced by prosecutors that this clandestine payment had led to Trump’s business records being manipulated and had somehow tampered with and unjustly influenced the 2016 Presidential election results.
After the ground-breaking verdict, the former president took the stage in Trump Tower in Manhattan on May 31st to address his jury conviction. Undeterred and bold as ever, Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign managed to raise a significant $34 million just hours after the hammer fell on the verdict – marking the first instance in the annals of American history where a former president has been convicted with felony charges and yet still managed to rally support in millions for another potential stint at the White House.
Despite the notorious conviction, Trump remains steadfast in his denials of any wrongdoing, insisting that the charges he faces are nothing more than a politically motivated witch-hunt spearheaded by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. Trump, who once flourished in the casino business, has now got the undesirable label of a convicted felon attached to his name. Meanwhile, his legal team is fervently working to strategize an appeal against the conviction.
Central to the case were accusations brought forth by Michael Cohen, Trump’s previous lawyer, who confessed to devising the bribe for Daniels to ensure her silence about an alleged sexual relationship with Trump. Displaying himself as a victim of the system, Trump vehemently questioned Cohen’s reliability, considering his record of admitting to having perjured in the past, by publicly lambasting him as “a sleazebag.”
Trump is firm in asserting that the money paid to Daniels was not hush money but simply a “nondisclosure agreement,” which he argued as being both common and completely legal.
Reacting swiftly to the verdict announcement, numerous bets were placed on the 2024 Presidentship outcome in both the UK, where such bets are legal, and the US. Albeit the rush of gambling, the verdict did not have a considerable influence on who would be the likely winner for 2024.
In the course of these developments, Biden managed to close the gap and gain some ground against Trump according to Smarkets’ odds, despite Trump remaining the favorite option on online political betting exchanges, including Betfair.
District Attorney Bragg naturally hailed his office’s successful pursuit and prosecution of Trump. He praised the jury for their decision based solely on the evidence presented and the law. Despite Bragg’s satisfaction with the verdict, it appears to have inadvertently prompted a surge of campaign contributions in Trump’s favor, potentially fueling his 2024 bid further.
Adding to this is the recent declaration of support for Trump by two billionaire Republicans – Dr. Miriam Adelson of Las Vegas Sands, and Blackstone’s Stephen Schwarzman – alongside the reported $34.8 million raised from small donors following the verdict announcement. Only time will tell what the surprising twist of events signifies for Trump’s political future.
