Despite former President Donald Trump’s conviction on 34 felony charges Thursday, the aftermath has not been entirely negative for him. A Manhattan Criminal Court jury reached a verdict on charges involving falsification of business records after nearly 10 hours of deliberation.
This landmark case marks the first time a former U.S. President has been tried and convicted in a criminal court, indicating a profound shift in American political history. The jury, consisting of seven men and five women, rendered their decision in a case that has gripped the nation.
Interestingly, an exclusive snap poll conducted for the Daily Mail reveals that the guilty verdict has actually increased Trump’s popularity among likely voters as the 2024 election approaches.
Among respondents who reported a change in their view of Trump following his conviction, 22 percent now view him more favorably, while only 16 percent view him more negatively. This six-point net positive swing underscores Trump’s remarkable resilience in the face of crises. In a tightly contested election, this boost could potentially aid his campaign.
“It was done last night right after the verdict, where I’m up six points,” Trump said of the poll on Friday. “Six points from what we already were. We were leading fairly substantially. We’re up six points in the Daily Mail poll. Now, maybe other polls come out and it says something differently. But a lot of people have predicted it because the public understands.”
Trump faced a barrage of charges from District Attorney Alvin Bragg, pleading not guilty to 34 counts of first-degree falsification of business records. As the trial neared its conclusion yesterday, Judge Juan Merchan was about to dismiss the jurors for the day when a note from the jury arrived, delaying their dismissal until the verdict could be heard.
According to Judge Merchan, who read the message aloud in the courtroom, the jury declared, “We have a verdict. We would like an extra 30 minutes to fill out the forms if that’d be possible.” The note came after jurors deliberated for less than 10 hours over two days.
Shortly after the verdict, numerous prominent Trump supporters took to social media to pledge donations to his campaign. The influx of contributions from small donors caused both Trump’s campaign site and the GOP fundraising platform WinRed to crash.
“A total waste of taxpayer money that will only help Trump win,” said a 42-year-old hip hop DJ from Illinois, who had voted for Joe Biden in 2020.
“I just donated to Trump. The donation page crashed from traffic,” said newspaper artist and conservative commentator Scott Adams. “This is the hill to die on.”
Shaun Maguire, a partner at Sequoia Capital in Silicon Valley, announced in a post on X that he will be donating $300,000 to Trump’s presidential campaign following the conviction. “Back in 2016 I had drunk the media Kool-Aid and was scared out of my mind about Trump. As such I donated to Hilary Clinton’s campaign and voted for her. By 2020 I was disillusioned and didn’t vote – I didn’t like either option,” Maguire wrote.
“Now, in 2024, I believe this is one of the most important elections of my lifetime, and I’m supporting Trump.”
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