As the hush money trial of former President Donald Trump inches toward its conclusion, a palpable sense of anticipation hangs in the air. After weeks of testimony and cross-examination, closing statements are set for Tuesday, May 28. In the meantime, the nation watches closely, acutely aware that the impending verdict will echo far beyond the confines of the courtroom.
No matter the decision, the much anticipated verdict, expected to be reached before Election Day, will send shockwaves. Certainly, what swing voters do in reaction to the decision will be telling, as many traditional Democratic constituencies have recently expressed reduced support for Biden, according to The New York Times. Additionally, in the event that Trump is found guilty, how Republicans process the verdict will be critical.
“We’ve looked at a lot of polling that indicates a good chunk of voters would move away from Trump if he’s convicted,” Jim Margolis, a Democratic strategist, told The New York Times. Such insights suggest that a significant portion of voters could pivot away from Trump if he is convicted. This ultimately underscores the potential implications of a guilty verdict on Trump’s fortunes, as his popularity will hinge on his ability to weather the outcome of the indictment.
For background, the hush money case is centered around Trump’s alleged attempts to falsify internal business records. Such allegations rest on records of checks sent by Trump to his personal lawyer to pay off a porn actor, Stormy Daniels.
In the face of these allegations, Trump’s defense has claimed that the alleged record falsification happened in 2017, after he was elected. Therefore, according to npr.org, this proves that evidence of alleged intent is not relevant. This means that prosecutors must prove that the payment was made with the purpose of swaying the election.
More recently, Trump’s previous attorney and now adversary, Michael Cohen, took the witness stand, admitting that he stole tens of thousands of dollars from Trump’s company. During his testimony, Cohen also admitted to paying $50,000 to a technology firm to boost Trump’s standing in a CNBC poll, according to pbs.org. In reaction to Cohen’s claims, Trump’s defense attempted to paint Cohen as a vengeful and uncredible source bent on seeing Trump’s political demise.
Certainly, many believe that if acquitted, Trump will make it his mission to claim the victory as a triumph over the state’s relentless efforts to get rid of him. However, if found guilty, it is likely that Trump will attempt to discredit the prosecution as a politically motivated stunt to undermine his campaign.
Ultimately, with the trial nearing its end, Trump’s fate now rests in the hands of the jury. With closing statements expected to begin next Tuesday, the public now awaits a decision that will reshape the 2024 presidential races in both significant and unexpected ways.
