Day one of jury deliberations in Donald Trump‘s historic hush money trial has come to an end, with no verdict reached before the jury was dismissed for the day.
The trial has been ongoing since mid-April, captivating the nation as American citizens follow fresh developments and consider the potential impacts of a criminal conviction. That conviction is officially looming, and not even Trump himself seems confident that he’s in the clear.
Given Trump’s status as easily the most overconfident human that’s ever walked the earth, his latest statement carries massive weight. It seems the former president sees the writing on the wall and is already laying the groundwork to push back on the impending jury decision. Just like he did in 2020, planting the seeds to trumpet about a “stolen election” and rampant voter fraud, Trump is prepping the masses for a guilty verdict.
He essentially said as much outside the courtroom on May 29, where he told reporters that “Mother Teresa could not beat” the charges he faces in New York. Blasting presiding judge Juan Merchan as “conflicted” and “corrupt,” a clearly distressed Trump described the legal proceedings as “rigged” and called the United States a “mess.”
It’s an odd choice of words from a self-proclaimed patriot, but okay. Trump went on to say that we’ll know soon how the jury lands, but for now he seems to be staring down the barrel of a gun. He knows how much evidence is stacked against him, knows his rampant lies and mindless bluster aren’t getting him anywhere, and officially appears quite scared.
A guilty verdict will change quite a bit for Trump, but it won’t change his chances at re-entering the White House. Sure, it may toss some extra hurdles in his path, but even a felony conviction isn’t enough to disqualify the former president from running for office. So don’t expect him to pull out, regardless of the jury’s ruling, if he still sees even a glimmer of a chance at another presidency.
