Former US President and Republican Trump was recently found guilty by a jury in a New York City court in the "hush money" case, becoming the first former president in US history to be convicted in a criminal case. In recent days, the Democratic and Republican parties in the United States have been "fighting" over this matter, exposing the division and chaos in American politics.

Trump is not only a former US president, but has also secured the Republican presidential nomination for this year's US presidential election. US media and experts believe that this case may lay the seeds for the next "Capitol Hill riots," pushing this year's presidential election and even the entire United States into "unknown territory."

The United States is being pushed into "uncharted territory"

On May 30, Eastern Time, a jury at a Manhattan court in New York City ruled that Trump violated New York State law by falsifying business records in order to conceal the $130,000 "hush money" he paid to an adult film actress during the 2016 U.S. presidential election, and that 34 criminal charges were established.

The United States has never had a former president prosecuted in a criminal case, let alone convicted. American media have used terms such as "historic" and "unprecedented" to describe this incident. The Associated Press article wrote that the United States has been pushed into "unknown territory."

Juan Melchand, the presiding judge of the "hush money" case, will announce Trump's verdict on July 11. According to New York State law, Trump's 34 counts of falsifying business records are the lowest level of felony, and each count carries a maximum sentence of four years in prison. American legal experts pointed out that Trump has no criminal record and the charges are non-violent crimes, so it is unlikely that he will be sentenced to prison, and he is more likely to be fined or sentenced to probation.

Trump has said he will appeal after the jury's verdict was announced. According to the law, Trump's team will have 30 days to file an appeal notice after the judge's verdict is announced, and then have 6 months to complete all appeal procedures. The prosecutor will have to respond within about 30 days. The game between Trump and the prosecutor may last for several months or even longer, so there is a high probability that there will be no final result before the election day in November this year.

Adding fuel to the presidential campaign

For Trump, being convicted does not affect his continued campaign or even re-election as US president. The US Constitution only requires that presidential candidates be born in the United States, be at least 35 years old and have lived in the United States for at least 14 years. It does not restrict people with criminal records from running for office and being elected.

The primary election phase of this year's US presidential election has come to an end. Trump and the current president, Democrat Biden, have each secured the presidential nomination of their respective parties. The two are currently in a stalemate. According to data from the US election information website "Real Transparency Politics", as of June 1, Trump was leading Biden by 0.8 percentage points in national polls.

The impact of Trump's conviction by a jury on this year's US presidential election remains to be seen. Many polls show that whether Trump is convicted or not, the voting choices of most or even the vast majority of voters will not be affected. American columnist Mona Charron said that some voters are unwilling to send a felon to the Oval Office of the White House as president, but it is unknown how many such voters there are. However, with the election so close, any change in support may be decisive.

In the eyes of Trump's son Eric, being convicted actually helped his father win the election. Trump's campaign team revealed that within 24 hours after the New York jury announced the verdict, they raised a total of $52.8 million, which is more than half of the funds raised in April. Eric said that this shows that "America is angry" and people are supporting Trump in an unprecedented way.

Andra Gillespie, associate professor of political science at Emory University, pointed out that the outcome of the US presidential election depends largely on mobilization and voter turnout. Trump will continue to use his image as a "victim of a political witch hunt" to win over supporters, while Biden will intensify his propaganda that he is more suitable for public office than Trump, and the competition between the two will remain fierce.

American democracy is in crisis

After the jury's verdict was announced, Trump lashed out at the Democrats for "political witch-hunting" and "rigging the trial" to prevent him from returning to the White House. Republicans have expressed their support for Trump and are ready to retaliate. Jim Jordan, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, said he would ask Alvin Bragg, a Democrat who was the prosecutor in Trump's "hush money" case, and others to attend the hearing to explain why Trump was prosecuted.

Some Republicans have called for "tit for tat." Congressman Mike Collins called on Republican-run "red state" attorneys general and district attorneys on social media, saying "it's time to get busy." Conservative "Internet celebrity" Charlie Kirk called on Republican prosecutors to "get creative" and prepare some high-profile cases.

The Democratic Party's position is completely different. According to Democrats, Trump's conviction by the jury was a "victory for the rule of law" and proved that "no one is above the law." Biden said the judiciary should be respected and that Trump's accusation that the ruling was "rigged" was reckless, dangerous and irresponsible.

“Chaos,” “tear,” “resentment,” “anxiety”… American media and scholars invariably chose these words when talking about this year’s election. In the context of political polarization, the confrontation between the two parties continues to break through the lower limit, and chaos and strange things emerge one after another. Trump's "historic" conviction will undoubtedly intensify the confrontation and disputes between the two parties.

Trump supporters posted photos of the American flag flying upside down on the Internet and social media, and some even advocated violent retaliation. Leah Wright Riegel, associate professor of history at Johns Hopkins University in the United States, said that "American democracy is fragile and prone to crises." Trump's conviction may trigger another incident similar to the "Capitol Hill riots" .

    CNN White House reporter Stephen Collinson also said that Trump's possible criminal status heralds "a dark and turbulent moment" in American history, and that this country, which has been torn apart by political and cultural polarization, may enter a very difficult period.