On Friday, May 31, Donald Trump became the first former or sitting president to be convicted of criminal charges. The jury found Trump guilty of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to cover up a $130,000 payment to porn-star Stormy Daniels amidst the 2016 presidential elections.

His sentencing is set for July 11, days before the Republican national convention in Milwaukee, where Republicans will likely make him their candidate for the next presidential election in early November.

Each of the 34 charges of falsifying business records is punishable by up to four years in prison, however, the former president could come away with just probation and fines. According to an investigation by the Associated Press into news archives and court records, defendants convicted of these crimes rarely go to prison unless the sentence is accompanied by a more serious felony like grand larceny.

After the conviction, Trump told reporters that he plans to appeal. His lawyer, Todd Blanch, hinted in an interview with the Today Show that he’s planning to challenge the decision by Judge Merchan to not excuse himself from the trial.

Trump has repeatedly stated that Merchan shouldn’t have presided over the trial due to his donations to Democrats and the fact that his daughter is a Democratic party consultant. Merchan has admitted he gave a series of small contributions to Democrats, including a $15 donation to Joe Biden’s campaign in 2020. However, he also said that this was not sufficient reason to excuse himself from the trial.

Prosecutors in this case had to establish that Trump not only knowingly helped fake the records, but that his intention was to violate election law. 

One key witness in the trial was former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker, who prosecutors say helped Trump in his hush money scheme. 

“I would be your eyes and ears. If I hear anything negative about yourself, or if I hear anything about women selling stories, I would notify Michael Cohen,” said Pecker in his testimony on April 25.

In 2016, Pecker purchased the rights to a story by Daniels about her alleged sexual encounter with Trump. He alerted Cohen to the story and helped suppress it. Soon after, Cohen contacted Daniels and allegedly made her an offer.

Trump’s convictions will not bar him from running in 2024; in fact, the only requirements to run for president in the United States are being over 35 years of age, being a natural-born citizen and physically living in the US for 14 years. 

It is currently unclear how moderate voters will react to the news; however, his campaign has said it raised $34.8 million in small online donations since the convictions were announced. 

A message from the Trump campaign to supporters read, “If they can do this to me, they can do this to anyone.” 

Trump will most likely continue talking about the conviction on the campaign trail leading up to the November elections.