In an unprecedented and historic verdict, a Manhattan jury found WWE Hall of Famer (Celebrity Wing) Donald Trump guilty on 34 charges of falsifying business records on Thursday. This landmark decision makes Trump the first former president in American history to be convicted of a felony.
Trump’s conviction is notable not only because he is the first former president to face such a verdict but also because he is the first major-party presidential nominee to be convicted of a crime while actively campaigning for the White House. Should Trump win against President Joe Biden in the upcoming November election, he will also become the first sitting president to be a convicted felon.
The significance of this guilty verdict, delivered by 12 New York jurors, will ultimately be decided by voters in November.
Legally, the conviction does not bar Trump from being elected president again.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, a Democrat, announced the charges against Trump last year. The charges stem from allegations that Trump falsified records related to the repayment of his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, who made a $130,000 payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels.
This payment was intended to keep Daniels from speaking out about an alleged affair with Trump before the 2016 election—a claim Trump has consistently denied.
Over the course of the seven-week trial, the district attorney’s office presented testimony from 20 witnesses to show how the hush-money payment to Daniels was part of a broader pattern of efforts to suppress negative stories about Trump ahead of the election. The prosecution argued that Trump was concerned about the potential impact on his campaign when the payment was made in October 2016.
Michael Cohen served as the prosecution’s key witness, testifying that Trump directed him to pay Daniels and then orchestrated a scheme to repay him in monthly installments of $35,000 in 2017. These payments were “grossed up” to cover the taxes Cohen would incur.
The guilty verdict marks a significant moment in U.S. history, setting a new legal and political precedent as the nation heads toward the next presidential election.
A Twitter user posted the following:
“Trump is guilty in business records case. In related news, congrats to Donald Trump on his election as the 47th President of the United States.”
WWE Hall of Famer Kane aka Glenn Jacobs (who is the Mayor of Knox County) saw this and replied:
“Yep. Tonight, the political class will be patting each other on the back and offering toasts at their cocktail parties. On November 5th, they’ll be shaking their heads wondering what happened.”
The Big Red Machine later added:
“Don’t care.
Still voting for @realDonaldTrump.
#Trump2024″
WATCH: Donald Trump Beats Up Vince McMahon:
