Jury Finds Trump Guilty on All 34 Charges in Hush Money Case

A Manhattan jury found former President Donald Trump guilty of illegally falsifying business records to cover up a hush money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election. 

For Context: While Stormy Daniels took the stand, and Trump did not, much of the media coverage — particularly on the right — focused on former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen’s testimony. While Cohen said he repeatedly lied about the hush payment to protect Trump, he also admitted to stealing tens of thousands of dollars from the Trump Organization. Trump is the first U.S. president to be convicted of a felony.

2024 Impact: This verdict might have significant consequences for the 2024 presidential election — a recent poll showed 17% of U.S. voters would be less likely to vote for Trump if found guilty. However, the same poll found that 67% said a guilty verdict would make no difference in their vote. 

How the Media Covered It: Live coverage was common across the spectrum. Coverage often reflected narratives about the fairness of the trial; Fox News (Right bias), for instance, tied the charges to Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg in its first paragraph and mentioned Trump's "not guilty" plea in its third paragraph. Inversely, a New York Times (Lean Left bias) reporter was quick to refer to Trump as "now a felon."