Trump Guilty Verdict: ElectionLine Podcast Goes Inside The NYC Courthouse As An Ex-POTUS Becomes A Felon

Editor’s note: Running until the final general election results come in, the Deadline ElectionLine podcast spotlights the 2024 campaign and the blurred lines between politics and entertainment in modern America. Hosted by Deadline’s political editor Ted Johnson and executive editor Dominic Patten, the podcast features commentary and interviews with top lawmakers and entertainment figures. At the same time, you can follow all the news in the Biden & Trump rematch and more on the ElectionLine hub on Deadline.

Donald Trump made history once again on Thursday as the first former president to become a convicted felon. Want to know what it was like to be right there in the center of the political hurricane? – listen to the latest edition of the Deadline ElectionLine podcast above.

Trump was found guilty on May 30 of 34 felony counts of falsifying business documents. The verdict by the Manhattan jury centered on his attempt to conceal payments made during the closing weeks of the 2016 election meant to silence stories of an affair the former Celebrity Apprentice host had with porn star Stormy Daniels in an elaborate “catch and kill” scheme. 

Trump is scheduled to be sentenced on July 11, less than a week before the Republican National Convention.

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Inside the Manhattan criminal courthouse, one gasp was heard in the overflow courtroom as the verdicts were read, according to Sean Piccoli, covering the trial for Deadline. Then, there was a silence, as one by one the verdicts were read. On TV, one by one anchors went through each count and the word “guilty,” until the number on the screen reached 34.

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The definitive verdicts were a surprise to a number of legal analysts across the networks, who had raised doubts about District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s case, given its complexity and roots in an election from 2016. But Piccoli talks about why the proceedings actually played out like many other cases, the obvious difference being the defendant. He also talks about the next steps, which include a certain appeal and potential jail time for Trump.

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What’s unclear is how the verdicts play out in the presidential race, whether it was already baked into the equation for voters, as Trump continues to push the claim that the system is rigged against him. Also, can Florida resident Trump actually vote now?

Stick with ElectionLine all the way through Trump’s sentencing and Election Day itself: Subscribe to the Deadline ElectionLine podcast on Spotify, Apple Music, iHeart, and all podcast platforms.

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