What’s Next for President Trump After Guilty Verdict Shocks America?

New York City DA Alvin Bragg’s case against President Donald Trump concluded yesterday with the NYC jury delivering a guilty verdict on all 34 counts. Judge Juan Merchan scheduled Trump’s sentencing to take place on July 11. How does this affect President Trump’s 2024 presidential election bid against President Biden? And what is the likely political fallout for this shocking, historic verdict? We’re going to break everything down for you.

Let’s be honest: Yesterday shouldn’t have really surprised anyone. Deep down, everyone probably knew that Trump would be convicted in a New York courtroom by a New York jury for a crime that no one can seem to define. Regarding the 34 counts of falsifying business charges, we don’t really know exactly what parts the prosecution chose to elevate the misdemeanor to a felony.

Sure, many who truly respect the law and Constitution held out hope that maybe just one or two of the jurors would stand by their principles and recognize that the trial was unjust and politically motivated. However, that proved not to be the case, and the jury unanimously convicted Trump.

So what’s Trump’s next move? This unjust ruling must be corrected on appeal, so Trump will likely appeal next to a New York appellate court composed of judges, not a jury. If the appellate court doesn’t overturn the conviction, the highest court in the state, the New York Court of Appeals, will weigh in, and then it could go to the U.S. Supreme Court if necessary.

I hope this matter doesn’t have to go all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. At the ACLJ, as a legal organization, appealing to the U.S. Supreme Court is a last resort. We try to get things resolved for our clients without ever having to go to court. And if we do have to go to court, we want to beat our opposition in court so strongly that they can’t afford to keep pursuing the case – that it’s just not worth it. That’s why we send demand letters and try to resolve issues in federal court long before Supreme Court Justices get involved.

The most disheartening aspect of the verdict is the possibility of it becoming the norm to weaponize the judicial system to put political opponents in jail. Such actions chip away at Americans’ trust in the justice system.

The ACLJ works in all kinds of countries that unfairly prosecute their citizens – we don’t want America to become a banana republic. We must preserve the law and the Constitution, which are meant to protect citizens from unjust prosecution.

Further, this conviction doesn’t end Trump’s campaign for the White House. Nothing in the Constitution prevents President Trump from running for office. As mentioned earlier, sentencing will take place on July 11, and it is conceivable that Trump could be put in jail – even though it’d be pretty unprecedented for a first-time offender to receive jail time for this level of offense.

And we don’t know what jail time would entail in regard to the Secret Service. Maybe some kind of house arrest? Even if put in jail, Trump can still conduct a presidential campaign. Regardless, President Trump will appeal the case, and that could take a very long time.

My dad, ACLJ Chief Counsel Jay Sekulow, reacted to the verdict:

It’s fair to say that everybody knew that getting a fair trial in Manhattan was a very difficult task for the lawyers because the jury was so clearly going to be on the side of the prosecutors since it was an anti-Trump county. . . . This case has a long way to go . . . because the appellate process in New York is not quick. There’s a multilevel appellate process before we go to the U.S. Supreme Court. But I think that obviously could be the next recourse. But the reality is that it was an uphill battle, to begin with.

How does this conviction impact the election going forward? Does it change the minds of anyone who was previously a die-hard Biden supporter or Trump supporter? Probably not. If anything, it galvanizes Trump’s base even more – just look at Trump’s campaign donation page crashing last night with a massive influx of first-time donors.

It will be interesting to see what the polls say about the independent voters who are still on the fence. Will they become apathetic and unmotivated to vote? Will they see through the politically motivated trial? Or say they can never vote for a convicted felon?

On today’s show, my dad asserted that the final adjudication of Trump’s trial will take place at the ballot box on November 5. I wholeheartedly agree. The American people will ultimately decide President Trump’s future.

Today’s Sekulow broadcast included a full analysis of the shocking verdict levied against President Trump and his next steps. Former U.S. Representative Tulsi Gabbard reacted to the verdict and explained why the politicization of the justice system should concern every American.

Watch the full broadcast below: