Donald Trump has become the first president in history to be indicted–criminally charged–with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records by a grand jury in New York.

“One issue with grand juries is that they can indict a ham sandwich,” stated AP Government instructor Jeff Isola ’98. “It should be more substantive because it’s simply just evidence for there to be a trial so its not surprising.”

The case centers around Trump’s alleged affair with adult film actress Stormy Daniels and how news of it affected the home stretch of the 2016 presidential campaign.

Trump’s former attorney and fixer turned critic Michael Cohen allegedly paid Daniels $130,000 in hush money so the scandal wouldn’t affect Trump in the final weeks of the campaign. As president, Trump is accused of reimbursing Cohen and the Trump Organization, listing it as “legal expenses”–to which the prosecution says that no such legal expenses existed.

“I don’t think that voters knowing about the affair would change anything because Trump has always made outrageous claims but still had the support from his followers,” Oscar Hernandez ’23 stated.

Trump’s indictment was announced on March 30, with the former president flying into LaGuardia on April 3. He stayed the night at Trump Tower before his arraignment at the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse on April 4, surrendering to authorities and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. He was booked and fingerprinted and pleaded not guilty to the 34 felony counts in the indictment.

Trump then flew back to Mar-a-Lago to give a speech to his supporters, where he stated he was being politically persecuted. 

“With his history, I’m annoyed and frustrated but unsurprised by his comments,” Pebble Ekhaus ’23 stated.

Democrats approved of the accountability, whereas Republicans deemed Bragg’s actions as election interference and a political persecution. Trump critic GOP Senator Mitt Rommey, stated that Bragg “stretched the case to fit a political agenda,” citing the legal limbo of Bragg elevating Trump’s charges to felonies instead of deeming them as misdemeanors. 

At this, the DA stated that through the payment, Trump purposely hid damaging information from the public and violated laws in the process, meriting the escalation of the charges.

At the arraignment, the judge set the next court appearance date for Trump for Dec. 4, giving the Trump team the entire summer to prepare their case.

Any conviction would not disqualify Trump from continuing his 2024 presidential campaign. If public opinion polls amongst voters materialize, America will have a Biden Trump rematch for the 2024 election.