TGIF! Trump found GUILTY of all 34 felony counts in his New York hush money criminal trial. What’s next for Trump legally and politically five months ahead of the presidential election?

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Good morning,

Where to get your next piece of art: From a two-year-old German boy? But, the price might surprise you.

• Laurent Schwarz sold multiple pieces for up to $7,000.

• While on vacation his parents saw their toddler get obsessed with painting and create abstract art.

  • “You can clearly recognize his animals, like elephants which are one of his favorite animals, as well as dinosaurs and horses. It’s very important to him that it’s bright and colorful. Brown and other boring colors don’t interest him. He has very clear ideas about the colors he mixes,” his mom explained.

• An NYC gallery is even in talks to exhibit some of his pieces.

Kids… go get your paint 😉 Have a good one!

Mosheh, Jill, & Lauren

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📌 TRUMP FOUND GUILTY ON ALL COUNTS: LEGAL AND POLITICAL RAMIFICATIONS

A Manhattan jury found Donald Trump guilty on all 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in his New York hush money criminal trial. This makes Trump the first former US president to be convicted of a felony.

• A 12-person jury found unanimously that Trump took part in an illegal conspiracy to undermine the 2016 election and an unlawful plan to suppress negative information. The key issue: creating fraudulent financial documents to conceal a $130,000 hush money payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels. The goal was to get her not to talk about an alleged affair just weeks before voters went to the ballot.

TRUMP’S TAKE: Trump called the trial “rigged,” and told reporters “the real verdict is going to be Nov. 5, by the people.” His campaign launched an all out fundraising blitz following the verdict. Republicans across the spectrum rallied around Trump and criticized the verdict, saying this will only make Trump a stronger candidate going into November.

• CAN TRUMP STILL RUN FOR THE WHITE HOUSE?: Yes, the only requirements involve age (must be 35), residency, and where you were born (US). Felons can run.

• CAN TRUMP VOTE?: Yes, unless he is literally in prison. Florida (where Trump resides) follows the state in which a person was convicted, and New York only takes away voting privileges for felons while they are in prison.
  

• WILL TRUMP GO TO JAIL? Trump was convicted on 34 counts, which means he could face a maximum of four years in prison for each count. But New York state caps prison sentences at 20 years for this type of offense, and typically judges would have these charges served concurrently–so 4 years.

  • That said, it is unlikely that Trump will spend any time behind bars because he does not have a criminal record and the charges against him are nonviolent felonies. But the final decision is up to Judge Merchan, who Trump has railed against for months.

     

    UP NEXT: Trump's sentencing hearing is on July 11 at 10am, just four days before the start of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.

NOW THE APPEAL
Trump has promised to appeal the verdict, but his lawyers can’t until after sentencing. From the start, they have criticized Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg, who brought the case, and Judge Juan Merchan. Many Republicans are confident this case will be overturned on appeal. Here are some of Team Trump strategies:

• Get outta Manhattan: Trump’s team has been trying to get the case out of Manhattan, arguing that it is heavily Democratic and jurors couldn’t give him a fair trial. Just last week, a panel of New York State appellate judges denied Trump's request to move the trial.

• Judge: Trump called Judge Merchan “corrupt” and “conflicted” after he was found guilty.

  • His team will argue that Merchan’s jury instructions, allowing jurors to pick from multiple state crimes to then find Trump guilty of the felony, were unconstitutional.

  • Separately, they believe a $15 political contribution Merchan made to Biden's campaign in 2020 shows his bias. Note: The New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct dismissed an ethics complaint about it due to how small it was.

• OBJECTION: CNN's chief legal affairs correspondent Paula Reid calls it “death by a thousand cuts.” She says the Trump legal strategy during the trial — anticipating a guilty verdict — was to make every possible objection. “They’ve been racking up every objection, every possible constitutional question they can raise before an appeals court,” Reid says.

EVERYONE WEIGHS IN
The messaging in Republican circles is pretty clear: This is a political sham. Overwhelmingly, Democrats are saying justice has been served and the decision should be respected.

• Republicans are saying it’s illegitimate and politically motivated. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said the verdict is “shameful” and a “purely political exercise, not a legal one.” Trump’s sons had some thoughts too:

• Over to Independent Presidential candidate Robert F Kennedy, Jr., who has a number of criticisms of Trump, said this conviction will strengthen him and Democrats’ attempts to “weaponize” the legal system will “backfire.”

HOW DOES IT IMPACT VOTERS?
Pre-conviction polling has shown that a guilty verdict could impact the outcome of the presidential election. So far, the criminal cases themselves have only boosted Trump’s support. Polls taken over the last 7 months show Biden gets anywhere from a two to 14 point lead over Trump based on the verdict.

That said, we are five months from an election, so it is unclear how much this conviction could really impact voters who are much more concerned about the economy and the border.

• Raising $$$: Trump’s campaign website crashed from all the activity after the verdict — this could be a mega fundraising push. The Biden campaign, on the other hand, issued a statement soon after the verdict that Trump will be the GOP nominee and the only way to keep him out of office is by voting.

  

Mo News Podcast: A daily conversation about the news that matters.

⏳ SPEED READ

🚨NATION

📌 Supreme Court sides with NRA in free speech ruling that curbs government pressure campaigns (CNN)

📌 FAA investigating near collision at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (NBC NEWS)

📌 Chief Justice Roberts declines to meet with Dems over ethics after Alito flags controversy (AXIOS)

📌 New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez has enough signatures to run as an independent despite his federal bribery trial (GUARDIAN)

🌎 AROUND THE WORLD

📌 South African elections results show collapsing support for Mandela’s ANC party, amid 33% unemployment rate (AP)

📌 Biden gives Ukraine permission to carry out limited strikes within Russia using US weapons (CNN)

📌 14 pro-democracy activists convicted, 2 acquitted in Hong Kong’s biggest national security case (AP)

📌 Slovak Prime Minister released from hospital after assassination attempt (REUTERS)

📌 Tens of billions of dollars in gold flows illegally out of Africa each year, a new report says (AP)

📱BUSINESS, SCIENCE & TECH

📌 Six planets to appear to align on June 3 in ‘parade of planets’ (ABC)

📌 PTSD has surged among college students (NY TIMES)

📌 US nears deal to fund Moderna's bird flu vaccine trial after third US farmer worker reported to be infected (REUTERS)

📌 Amazon gets FAA approval allowing it to expand drone deliveries for online orders (ABC)

🎬 SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT

📌 12 year old Florida boy wins National Spelling Bee after rare ‘spell-off’ (CNN)

📌 Lenny Kravitz reveals that he has been celibate for 9 years (NBC NEWS)

📌 John Lennon's 'Help!' guitar sells for a record $2.9 million at auction (ABC NEWS)

📌 New details about killing of General Hospital actor (EW)

📌 Cher wins lawsuit against Sonny Bono's widow over royalty payments (NBC NEWS)

🎉 CHEERS TO THE FREAKIN WEEKEND

• WHAT WE’RE WATCHING: Mosheh: The Jinx: Part Two ~ MAX

  Jill: Jim Henson: Idea Man ~ Disney+

• WHAT WE’RE READING: Mosheh: The Loneliness of the American Worker ~ WSJ’s Te-Ping Chen; Jill: Enclave Long Island, Jill’s new weekly newsletter about all things related to the North Shore of Long Island. SUBSCRIBE

• WHAT WE’RE EATING: Mosheh: Radio Bakery in Greenpoint, Brooklyn; Jill: Lobster roll from Schultzy's in Bayville