Donald Trump's felony conviction in a Manhattan court on Thursday was a momentous event, even if the charges — falsifying business records — are less weighty than others facing the former president. The prospect of a convicted felon being elected president should give pause to voters who have not been persuaded to reject him despite his manifest incapacity.
Trump was found guilty of all 34 counts of the indictment that accused him of falsifying business records related to payments to his former lawyer Michael Cohen. Prosecutors argued that the payments were reimbursements for money Cohen provided out of his own pocket to adult film star and director Stormy Daniels to keep her quiet about an alleged 2006 sexual encounter with Trump that, if made public, could have affected the result of the 2016 elections. .
Typically, falsifying business records is a misdemeanor, but prosecutors argued that it rose to the felony level because it was done to conceal another crime, such as a violation of federal campaign finance law. That layered argument drew considerable criticism from real lawyers and the armchair variety, but the jury appears to have grasped its complexity and concluded that Trump was guilty.
The charges Trump has been convicted of pale in comparison to the other charges he faces related to his attempt to overturn the 2020 election and his withholding of national defense documents after leaving the White House. Unfortunately, it seems unlikely that he will face trial on those allegations before the November election. To its discredit, the Supreme Court has contributed to the delay of a Trump trial on federal charges related to the 2020 election by dithering over Trump's absurd claim of immunity for “official acts,” broadly defined to cover some of his actions related to the elections. .
Trump's inability to serve another term as president does not depend on the outcome of any of these prosecutions. Even if he had been an exemplary CEO (which he was not), he should be disqualified for conspiring to overturn the 2020 election, a shameful assault on democracy that culminated in the riot at the US Capitol on January 6. of 2021.
Trump's outrageous attempt to subvert the democratic process is not the only reason to oppose his return to the White House. He should also be rejected by voters because of his authoritarian tendencies, his propensity for falsehoods and his volatile temperament. His final two character flaws were evident in his unhinged attacks on the judge in this case and his incredible claim that New York State's prosecution of him was instigated by the Biden administration. (After the verdict was announced, Trump also claimed that the trial had been “rigged,” the same absurd accusation he has continued to make about the 2020 election that he lost.)
A criminal conviction should not be necessary to convince conscious voters of Trump's epic inadequacy. But his supporters must now take into account the fact that their chosen candidate is a convicted felon.
