Abbreviated Pundit Roundup: Beyond a reasonable doubt, by unanimous decision, Trump is found guilty
Abbreviated Pundit Roundup: Beyond a reasonable doubt, by unanimous decision, Trump is found guilty
Abbreviated Pundit Roundup is a long-running series published every morning that collects essential political discussion and analysis around the internet.
Greg Sargent/The New Republic:
Trump’s Stunning Guilty Verdict Shatters His Aura of Invincibility
His conviction on 34 felony counts is powerful new information, and we should hold institutional Democrats responsible if they don’t use it—ruthlessly and effectively.
One of the most bizarre things about the Donald Trump era has been the persistence of his aura of invincibility. Trump, who never reads books but somehow harbors deep knowledge of what history tells us about how autocrats succeed, cultivates this aura relentlessly. The nonstop lying about his poll strength, the absolute refusal to concede the slightest error in any situation, the endlessly hallucinogenic fabrications about his crowd sizes—all of it flows from his seemingly instinctual sense that conceding any hint of weakness must be resisted at all costs, lest it unleash forces that shatter him entirely...
He was getting away with all of it. Again.
Until he didn’t.
The force of this truth should inform how Democrats proceed now. Democratic operatives sometimes say there’s no sense in talking about Trump’s criminal trials, because his “negatives” are “baked in,” as the grating consultant-speak has it. Indeed, according to a source familiar with the situation, the Biden campaign has no plans for any paid ads on the verdict. The campaign did put out a powerful statement about the verdict, and it’s somewhat understandable that Biden himself is cautious about commenting on Trump’s legal travails, given that his own Justice Department is prosecuting Trump.
This is so beautiful. ???? “New York hates you,” has got to sting. pic.twitter.com/QFJ4jPugeu— ???????????????????????????? (@billyd3_) May 29, 2024
Harry Litman/Los Angeles Times:
Does it matter that Donald Trump just became a convicted criminal? Of course it does
Unlike the insults, the accolades showered on the jurors and Judge Juan M. Merchan are more than deserved. Having attended most of the trial, I think their seriousness of purpose matched the gravity of their duties.
But it wasn’t just the determination of the jury, judge and prosecutors that forced Trump to endure weeks of damning testimony in person and to now face at least the possibility of a short prison term. And it wasn’t just the resolve of the witnesses, some of whom retain loyalty or at least affection for Trump but understood their legal duty to testify truthfully.
Merchan’s firm hold of the reins bolstered his authority, but what really made the difference was his robe, or what his robe represents. Trump was forced to submit to a whole regime that ultimately springs from our deepest constitutional values of fairness and equality before the law. How galling for a man who holds such deep contempt for — indeed seems incapable of apprehending — the rule of law rather than men.
Interviewers: I beg you. Stop asking Republicans if they think the trial was “rigged.” Ask them if they believe that candidates should be allowed to make illegal hush money payments to further their campaign. Ask them, specifically, which evidence they think the jury got wrong.— Brian Klaas (@brianklaas) May 31, 2024
Steve Benen/MSNBC:
Trump’s conviction is historic and important, but not surprising
The question isn’t why Donald Trump has been convicted, the question is how he managed to go this long without having been convicted before.
After a New York jury found Donald Trump guilty on 34 felony counts, Republicans relied on familiar rhetoric to condemn the outcome. The verdict was an “outrage.” The prosecution itself reflected an unforgivable “abuse.” The United States is now a “third-world country” and a “banana republic.” And so on.
The talking points were badly flawed last year, when they were peddled in response to Trump’s indictments, and they have not improved with age.
The core problem with this argument is that it’s predicated on a deeply strange assumption: To take the line from Trump’s partisan defenders seriously, one must accept as a given that the former president has earned the benefit of the doubt. Discard the evidence, they say, and recognize this virtuous and honorable man, not as a criminal, but as an undeserving victim of a system run amok.
But is anyone genuinely surprised by the fact that jurors would hear both sides of a case, consider the evidence, and find Trump guilty of criminal wrongdoing?
Another thing worth noting: Relatively few Americans thought Trump would be convicted -- 23% in a poll last week. So lots of people are confronting a result they didn't anticipate. pic.twitter.com/N0nK11bNzg— Aaron Blake (@AaronBlake) May 31, 2024
Aaron Blake/The Washington Post:
Trump is a felon. Here’s why that could matter in the 2024 race.
Trump was found guilty on all 34 counts in his Manhattan trial Thursday.
Abbreviated Pundit Roundup is a long-running series published every morning that collects essential political discussion and analysis around the internet.
Trump’s Stunning Guilty Verdict Shatters His Aura of Invincibility
His conviction on 34 felony counts is powerful new information, and we should hold institutional Democrats responsible if they don’t use it—ruthlessly and effectively.
One of the most bizarre things about the Donald Trump era has been the persistence of his aura of invincibility. Trump, who never reads books but somehow harbors deep knowledge of what history tells us about how autocrats succeed, cultivates this aura relentlessly. The nonstop lying about his poll strength, the absolute refusal to concede the slightest error in any situation, the endlessly hallucinogenic fabrications about his crowd sizes—all of it flows from his seemingly instinctual sense that conceding any hint of weakness must be resisted at all costs, lest it unleash forces that shatter him entirely...
He was getting away with all of it. Again.
Until he didn’t.
The force of this truth should inform how Democrats proceed now. Democratic operatives sometimes say there’s no sense in talking about Trump’s criminal trials, because his “negatives” are “baked in,” as the grating consultant-speak has it. Indeed, according to a source familiar with the situation, the Biden campaign has no plans for any paid ads on the verdict. The campaign did put out a powerful statement about the verdict, and it’s somewhat understandable that Biden himself is cautious about commenting on Trump’s legal travails, given that his own Justice Department is prosecuting Trump.
Does it matter that Donald Trump just became a convicted criminal? Of course it does
Unlike the insults, the accolades showered on the jurors and Judge Juan M. Merchan are more than deserved. Having attended most of the trial, I think their seriousness of purpose matched the gravity of their duties.
But it wasn’t just the determination of the jury, judge and prosecutors that forced Trump to endure weeks of damning testimony in person and to now face at least the possibility of a short prison term. And it wasn’t just the resolve of the witnesses, some of whom retain loyalty or at least affection for Trump but understood their legal duty to testify truthfully.
Merchan’s firm hold of the reins bolstered his authority, but what really made the difference was his robe, or what his robe represents. Trump was forced to submit to a whole regime that ultimately springs from our deepest constitutional values of fairness and equality before the law. How galling for a man who holds such deep contempt for — indeed seems incapable of apprehending — the rule of law rather than men.
Interviewers: I beg you. Stop asking Republicans if they think the trial was “rigged.” Ask them if they believe that candidates should be allowed to make illegal hush money payments to further their campaign. Ask them, specifically, which evidence they think the jury got wrong.— Brian Klaas (@brianklaas) May 31, 2024
Trump’s conviction is historic and important, but not surprising
The question isn’t why Donald Trump has been convicted, the question is how he managed to go this long without having been convicted before.
After a New York jury found Donald Trump guilty on 34 felony counts, Republicans relied on familiar rhetoric to condemn the outcome. The verdict was an “outrage.” The prosecution itself reflected an unforgivable “abuse.” The United States is now a “third-world country” and a “banana republic.” And so on.
The talking points were badly flawed last year, when they were peddled in response to Trump’s indictments, and they have not improved with age.
The core problem with this argument is that it’s predicated on a deeply strange assumption: To take the line from Trump’s partisan defenders seriously, one must accept as a given that the former president has earned the benefit of the doubt. Discard the evidence, they say, and recognize this virtuous and honorable man, not as a criminal, but as an undeserving victim of a system run amok.
But is anyone genuinely surprised by the fact that jurors would hear both sides of a case, consider the evidence, and find Trump guilty of criminal wrongdoing?
Another thing worth noting: Relatively few Americans thought Trump would be convicted -- 23% in a poll last week. So lots of people are confronting a result they didn't anticipate. pic.twitter.com/N0nK11bNzg— Aaron Blake (@AaronBlake) May 31, 2024
Trump is a felon. Here’s why that could matter in the 2024 race.
Trump was found guilty on all 34 counts in his Manhattan trial Thursday. Here’s what we can say about what that means politically.
So the question today is not whether the vast majority of Trump supporters will stand by him (they will) but whether the small percentage of them who might balk —combined with undecided voters who might be turned off — will ultimately matter.
Here’s what we can say: It’s clear the verdict could change the trajectory of the 2024 race, if polls are accurate and voters are being honest with themselves. Whether it ultimately will is another matter.
Depending upon how pollsters ask the question, you can get upward of 3 in 10 Republicans to indicate that a conviction would give them pause.
Will It Matter? Searching for Clues in the Polls About a Trump Conviction.
He may not lose support at all, but recent backing from young and nonwhite voters might be likelier to fade.
The polls cannot tell us how voters will respond to the unprecedented verdict. Most voters weren’t even paying close attention to the trial, and asking voters about hypotheticals is always fraught. With his track record of political resilience, there’s surely little reason to expect his loyal MAGA base to suddenly collapse after a guilty verdict — or even imprisonment. It’s possible he won’t lose any support at all.
But in a close election in a closely divided country, any losses could be pivotal. While Mr. Trump has survived many controversies, he has also suffered a political penalty for his conduct. He did lose re-election, after all. And this cycle, there is one reason to wonder whether Mr. Trump might now be more vulnerable: He depends on the support of many young and nonwhite voters who haven’t voted for him in the past, and who might not prove as loyal as those who have stood by his side from the start.
A Manhattan Jury Has Placed a Question Mark on the Trump Presidency
By delivering their historic convictions, a Manhattan jury has done more than find former President Donald Trump guilty of 34 felonies. The 12 men and women have placed a question mark on the legitimacy of Trump’s first and potentially only term in the White House.
“I suggest to you that the value of this corrupt bargain forged at this Trump Tower meeting cannot be overstated,” Assistant District Attorney Joshua Steinglass told jurors during closing arguments. “It turned out to be one of the most valuable contributions anyone ever made to the Trump campaign.”
In a once-secret meeting now shrouded in infamy by the first criminal trial of a former president, tabloid mogul David Pecker met with Trump and his then-attorney Michael Cohen in Trump Tower in August 2015, where they hatched a three-point plan to put the reality TV star into the White House. Pecker would become the “eyes and ears” of the Trump campaign, using the National Enquirer to promote Trump, denigrate his opponents, and silence any “women selling stories.”
As Steinglass intoned, “When you put all three of these components together, this scheme cooked up by these men at this time could very well be what got President Trump elected.”
Trump's: Campaign chair: felon Deputy campaign chair: felon Personal lawyer: felon National security adviser: felon Longtime political adviser: felon Foreign policy adviser: felon Trump himself: felon https://t.co/Y9iKpiaEFs— Brian Klaas (@brianklaas) May 30, 2024
Trump’s continued candidacy would insult the country
This is simple: A unanimous jury has found Trump guilty on 34 felony counts. Our system of laws requires that we respect unanimous juries. The president is the chief executive of the laws of the United States. For the sake of honoring our laws and Constitution, nobody should run for the office of president while convicted of felonies by unanimous juries of citizen peers.
JoriPress
