Trump Convicted on All 34 Felony Counts - First Former President Convicted of Crimes in U.S. History

A Manhattan jury found former President Donald Trump guilty on all 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, making him the first former or sitting U.S. president to be convicted of crimes in American history. The unanimous verdict, delivered after less than two days of deliberation, convicted Trump of systematically falsifying business records to conceal hush money payments that were designed to influence the 2016 presidential election. The historic conviction occurred as Trump was actively campaigning as the presumptive Republican nominee for president in 2024, creating an unprecedented situation of a major party’s presidential candidate running as a convicted felon.

The Verdict

At 4:20 p.m. on May 30, 2024, the jury sent a note to Judge Juan Merchan indicating they had reached a verdict and requesting 30 minutes to fill out the verdict form. The courtroom filled rapidly with reporters, lawyers, and court personnel as word spread that a decision was imminent. Trump sat at the defense table flanked by his legal team, his expression tense as he awaited the verdict that would determine his fate.

The process of reading the verdict took just minutes but felt interminable. The court clerk called upon the jury foreperson to announce the verdict for each count. Count by count, for all 34 charges, the foreperson responded with a single word: “Guilty.” The counts corresponded to 11 checks Trump signed to Michael Cohen, 11 invoices Cohen submitted to the Trump Organization, and 12 ledger entries recording these payments - each document a false business record created to conceal the true nature of the payments.

Trump sat largely expressionless as the verdicts were read, though observers noted his jaw tightening and occasional head shaking. His adult sons Eric and Donald Jr., present in the courtroom, appeared stunned. The jury had spoken unanimously: Trump was guilty on every count of falsifying business records in the first degree, each count a class E felony carrying up to four years in prison.

The Jury’s Deliberations

The jury had deliberated for approximately 11 hours over two days before reaching their verdict. They had requested to rehear portions of testimony from Michael Cohen and David Pecker, the former National Enquirer publisher who testified about the “catch and kill” scheme to suppress negative Trump stories. They also requested portions of Judge Merchan’s jury instructions, particularly regarding the intent element required to elevate the charges from misdemeanors to felonies.

The relatively quick deliberations suggested the jury found the prosecution’s case compelling. They had heard six weeks of testimony, examined hundreds of documents, and heard from 22 witnesses including Cohen, Stormy Daniels, and numerous Trump Organization employees. The defense called only two witnesses and Trump himself did not testify. The jury’s verdict indicated they found the documentary evidence - particularly the checks bearing Trump’s signature, the false invoices, and the ledger entries recording payments as legal expenses - proved beyond reasonable doubt that Trump falsified business records with intent to conceal another crime.

What Trump Was Convicted Of

Each of the 34 counts charged Trump with falsifying business records in the first degree under New York Penal Law. The charges stemmed from the scheme to reimburse Michael Cohen for the $130,000 hush money payment to Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election. After Trump won the presidency, Cohen was reimbursed through monthly payments of $35,000 throughout 2017, totaling $420,000 (the $130,000 payment plus additional amounts).

The falsification occurred because these payments were recorded as legal fees for services rendered under a retainer agreement, when in fact they were reimbursements for the hush money payment. Prosecutors proved through Cohen’s testimony and documentary evidence that no retainer agreement existed and Cohen performed minimal legal work in 2017. The “legal fees” characterization was a fabrication designed to conceal the true nature and purpose of the payments.

What elevated these charges from misdemeanors to felonies was Trump’s intent. Under New York law, falsifying business records becomes a felony when done “with intent to defraud that includes an intent to commit another crime or to aid or conceal the commission thereof.” Prosecutors argued Trump falsified records to conceal violations of federal and state election law - specifically, using the hush money payment as an illegal campaign contribution that was hidden from voters. The jury’s guilty verdicts indicated they found Trump acted with this criminal intent.

Trump’s Immediate Response

Moments after the verdict, Trump addressed reporters outside the courtroom. His response was characteristically defiant: “This was a rigged trial by a conflicted judge who was corrupt.” He called it “a disgrace” and claimed “the real verdict is going to be November 5 by the people.” Trump attacked Judge Merchan, prosecutors, and the justice system itself, claiming the trial was politically motivated and designed to interfere with his presidential campaign.

Trump’s statement reflected his longstanding strategy of attacking any accountability mechanism as illegitimate. He characterized himself as a victim of political persecution, a martyr being punished for challenging the political establishment. His campaign immediately sent fundraising appeals featuring his mugshot and claiming he was convicted by a “rigged” system, raising millions of dollars within hours of the verdict.

Legal and Constitutional Implications

The conviction raised profound questions about the presidency, accountability, and the rule of law. Trump became the first president convicted of crimes, but nothing in the Constitution bars convicted felons from running for or serving as president. Trump could continue campaigning, could win the election, and could theoretically be inaugurated while appealing his conviction or even while incarcerated (though legal experts viewed prison time as unlikely given his age, lack of criminal history, and the non-violent nature of the offenses).

The conviction created the extraordinary possibility of a president governing while appealing state felony convictions - convictions for which he could not pardon himself, as presidential pardon power extends only to federal offenses. If Trump won the presidency and his appeals failed, he could theoretically be president while serving probation or even while serving a prison sentence, though the latter scenario seemed remote.

Judge Merchan scheduled sentencing for July 11, 2024, just days before the Republican National Convention. Trump faced up to four years in prison on each count, though sentences could run concurrently and legal experts predicted a sentence short of incarceration given his age (77), lack of criminal history, and non-violent offenses. Probation, fines, and community service seemed more likely outcomes.

Political Fallout

The conviction occurred at a critical moment in the 2024 presidential race. Trump was the presumptive Republican nominee, having effectively secured the nomination through primary victories. The conviction created an unprecedented situation: a major party’s presidential nominee convicted of 34 felonies, campaigning against charges of being a “criminal,” and asking voters to return him to the nation’s highest office despite his conviction.

Initial polling suggested the conviction had limited impact on Trump’s core support, with most Republican voters either disbelieving the verdict, viewing it as politically motivated, or considering it irrelevant to Trump’s fitness for office. However, some swing voters and independents expressed concern about voting for a convicted felon. The political impact would not be fully clear until the November election.

The conviction also energized both Trump’s supporters and opponents. Pro-Trump Republicans rallied around him, characterizing the verdict as proof of political persecution and deepening their support. Trump’s fundraising skyrocketed in the hours after the verdict. Anti-Trump voters and accountability advocates celebrated the verdict as proof that “no one is above the law” and evidence that the justice system could hold even former presidents accountable.

The Evidence That Convicted Trump

The jury’s verdict rested on a compelling combination of documentary evidence and testimony. The documents alone told a damning story: 11 checks signed by Trump, made out to Cohen, marked as legal fees. Eleven corresponding invoices from Cohen requesting payment for legal services under a retainer agreement. Twelve ledger entries in Trump Organization records characterizing the payments as legal expenses. Every document false, every characterization a lie designed to conceal the true purpose of the payments.

Michael Cohen’s testimony, despite his credibility problems, connected these documents to Trump’s knowledge and intent. Cohen testified Trump directed the hush money payment, personally approved the reimbursement scheme, and knew the payments would be falsely characterized as legal fees. The documentary evidence corroborated Cohen’s account at every critical point. Weisselberg’s handwritten notes showed the reimbursement calculation. Trump’s signature on the checks proved his direct involvement. The false invoices and ledger entries proved the systematic falsification.

David Pecker’s testimony about the “catch and kill” scheme established the broader conspiracy to suppress negative stories about Trump during the 2016 campaign. Stormy Daniels’s testimony established Trump’s motive for paying hush money. Hope Hicks’s testimony (Hope Hicks, not testifying directly but her statements) about Trump’s concern over the Access Hollywood tape established the political urgency in October 2016.

The defense’s theory - that the payments were legitimate legal fees, that any paperwork errors were Cohen’s responsibility, and that Trump had no knowledge of falsification - collapsed under the weight of this evidence. Trump’s signature on checks combined with the proof that no retainer agreement existed demolished the claim that these were legitimate legal fees.

Historical Significance

The conviction represented a watershed moment in American constitutional history. For 248 years, no president had been criminally convicted. Presidents had resigned in disgrace (Nixon), been impeached (Clinton, Trump twice), and faced various investigations and scandals. But none had been prosecuted and convicted of crimes by a jury of their peers.

The verdict demonstrated that the principle “no one is above the law” could be applied even to former presidents. It showed that wealth, power, and political office do not confer immunity from accountability for criminal conduct. The jury of 12 ordinary New Yorkers - diverse in background, profession, and political affiliation - unanimously agreed that Trump had committed crimes and should be held accountable.

Yet the conviction also exposed the limits of accountability. Trump remained free on bail, continued campaigning, and showed no contrition or acceptance of responsibility. His response was to attack the verdict, the judge, the jury system, and the rule of law itself. His supporters largely accepted his framing that he was persecuted rather than prosecuted. The conviction, while historic, did not seem likely to prevent Trump from winning the presidency again.

Looking Forward

Judge Merchan scheduled sentencing for July 11, though Trump’s lawyers immediately indicated they would seek delays and file appeals. Trump faced the possibility of probation, fines, or even incarceration, though most legal experts predicted a sentence short of prison time. The conviction created complex legal questions about Trump’s ability to serve as president while appealing state felony convictions.

The verdict also set the stage for Trump’s other pending criminal cases - the federal charges related to classified documents and January 6, and the Georgia state charges for election interference. However, delays in those cases made it unlikely they would reach trial before the November election. The Manhattan conviction might prove to be the only verdict reached before voters decided whether to return Trump to the presidency.

Accountability Realized, Democracy Tested

The conviction of Donald Trump on 34 felony counts represented the most significant moment of legal accountability in his life. A jury of his peers, after examining extensive evidence, unanimously concluded he had committed crimes. The verdict vindicated those who insisted Trump must face justice and demonstrated that the American legal system could function even in the most politically charged circumstances.

Yet the conviction also demonstrated the inadequacy of legal accountability in the face of political power and popular support. Trump weaponized the verdict for political gain, his support among Republicans remained strong, and the conviction seemed unlikely to prevent his return to power. The jury had spoken clearly: Donald Trump was guilty. Whether that verdict would have any lasting consequences beyond the historical record remained uncertain as America headed toward an election that would determine whether a convicted felon could become president.

The date May 30, 2024, would be remembered as the day Americans learned that their presidents can be convicted of crimes - but also the day they began grappling with whether such convictions matter in a political system where power increasingly depends more on loyalty and tribalism than on character or respect for law.