Thanks to Diana C. – Time’s cover a few month’s ago
For six weeks, the former most powerful man in the world sat like an ordinary citizen in a drab courtroom, a criminal defendant being judged by a jury of his peers.
Donald Trump glowered, complained, bloviated, and snoozed during a trial both historic and tawdry over whether he falsified business records to cover up hush money paid to a porn star on the eve of the 2016 election. On May 30, the 12 jurors delivered their unanimous verdict: guilty on all 34 counts. To all his norm-shattering iterations—flashy businessman, name-brand showman, novice President—Trump has added a new title: felon.
The trial that led to the first-ever criminal conviction of a former U.S. President was often marked by its unseemliness. A motley cast of characters—the former porn star, the tabloid publisher, the crying press aide, the disgraced former fixer—recounted episodes of spankings, clandestine meetings, and payoffs, all intended to establish that Trump had criminally conspired to hide information about his behavior that could have affected voters’ choices.
But while the crimes may feel insubstantial, the stakes for American democracy are far weightier. Trump once again threatens to upend the precepts of the U.S. political system and test the foundations of the country’s rule of law.
Trump will hardly be humbled by this outcome; he’s already called the trial a scam and vowed to appeal, a process that could take months or longer. “This was a rigged trial. It was a disgrace,” Trump said after he was found guilty. “The real verdict is going to be on November 5th by the people.”