Donald Trump has urged the US Supreme Court to annul his guilty verdict in the hush-money case, which has made him the first former US president to become a convicted felon.
As the presumptive Republican nominee for the 2024 election, Trump emphasized the timing of his sentencing hearing, set for July 11, just four days before the GOP’s national convention in Milwaukee, where his nomination is anticipated to be confirmed.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote, “The ‘Sentencing’ for not having done anything wrong will be, conveniently for the Fascists, 4 days before the Republican National Convention.
A Radical Left Soros-backed D.A., who ran on a platform of ‘I will get Trump,’ reporting to an ‘Acting’ Local Judge, appointed by the Democrats, who is HIGHLY CONFLICTED, will make a decision that will determine the future of our Nation?”
Last Thursday, a Manhattan jury found Trump guilty on all 34 counts of falsifying documents to hide a sexual encounter with adult film actress Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 presidential election.
Trump has vowed to appeal the verdict, which has significantly intensified the political climate months before the election. Republicans have rallied around Trump, while Democrats are looking to leverage the situation.
A recent ABC/Ipsos poll reveals that 50% of voters agree with the verdict, nearly double the 27% who do not. Additionally, 49% believe Trump should end his campaign, a step he is unlikely to take.
Among voters who dislike both Trump and President Joe Biden, 65% support the verdict, and two-thirds think Trump should cease his campaign.
Pollsters suggest this group could play a pivotal role in the upcoming election.
By appealing to the Supreme Court, Trump aims to invoke a legal strategy similar to the one he used in his defense against charges from special counsel Jack Smith regarding the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol.
Trump’s lawyers argue he had immunity from prosecution for actions taken during his presidency.
The Supreme Court, with its six-to-three conservative majority, is currently reviewing these claims.
However, the court’s political neutrality is under scrutiny, particularly after it was revealed that a US flag was flown upside down at Justice Samuel Alito’s home during the January 6 riot, a gesture used by many rioters as a protest symbol against Biden’s victory.
In a Fox interview, Trump appeared unconcerned about the potential for a jail sentence from Judge Juan Merchan on July 11, saying, “it could happen” and expressing that he would be “OK” with either a custodial sentence or home confinement.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who prosecuted Trump’s case, has not yet decided whether to seek a prison sentence or leave it to Merchan’s discretion.
Legal experts note that Trump’s conviction is a low-level felony and that he has no prior convictions, making probation a more likely outcome.
However, Trump’s aggressive rhetoric against Bragg and Merchan may impact his sentencing. His past attacks on Bragg include posting a picture of himself with a baseball bat next to Bragg’s head.
In the political arena, the first Republican ad exploiting the verdict has emerged.
GOP Senate candidate Tim Sheehy, running against Democratic incumbent Jon Tester in Montana, released an ad calling the prosecution “a state-sponsored political persecution led by JOE BIDEN and the radical left.”
The ad claims, “They want to throw Trump in jail, trying to rob Americans of their choice in the election,” and features footage of Tester suggesting political violence against Trump by saying, “I think you need to go back and punch him in the face.”
