Opinion Today: Trump was convicted. What’s next?

Opinion writers on the meaning of a historic verdict.

View in browser|nytimes.com May 31, 2024 By John Guida Senior Staff Editor, Opinion Since it was announced in an April 2023 indictment, the case against Donald Trump has been characterized as many things: zombie, compelling, weak, complex, outrageous, wise, partisan and much, much more. Our coverage in Opinion has explored and dissected many of those assessments. And with the trial's verdict — in which Trump became the first former president to be convicted of a felony — our coverage dives into and reflects on the clashing narratives of meaning and ripples of implication for the future. After the verdict was announced, seven of our writers offered a mix of opinions — on the prosecution (they had "a compelling story to tell," wrote David French), on what Alvin Bragg did ("Bragg didn't defeat Trumpism. He revived it," said Matthew Continetti), on the intersection of law and politics ("The law doesn't necessarily care about public opinion," said Kristen Soltis Anderson). In a guest essay, Renato Mariotti, a former prosecutor, was withering in his view of the Trump legal team's strategy and wrote that "the defense lost a winnable case." Politically, it may not matter, Frank Bruni wrote. Trump was convicted on 34 counts, and "a normal mortal doesn't rise from that political grave." But in Trump's case, he said, "I could see him skipping out of the cemetery, all the way back to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. I could see 'guilty' being a mere bump in the road. I could even see it being an accelerant, as his indictment arguably was." Indeed, in an episode of "Matter of Opinion", Michelle Goldberg — who joined David French and Patrick Healy in a discussion of how Donald Trump's conviction might impact the outcome of the election — agreed with Bruni's sentiment: Most Trump supporters "will be able to rationalize voting for a felon," she argued. It may not matter politically, but the verdict, in the eyes of the Times editorial board, made one thing clear: "Donald Trump is unfit for office." Ultimately, American voters will make that determination. After Thursday's verdict, they have a highly unusual distinction to consider in a candidate for the presidency. Read our coverage of the verdict: Damon Winter/The New York Times Guest Essay 'Trump Is Now a Felon, and That Will Matter': 7 Writers on the Guilty Verdict Times Opinion writers reflect on an extraordinary development in American political history. By New York Times Opinion Illustration by Rebecca Chew/The New York Times The Editorial Board Donald Trump, Felon The former president's conviction in a New York criminal trial revealed, yet again, why he is unfit for office. By The Editorial Board Paola Chapdelaine for The New York Times Guest Essay How Trump's Team Blew It The defense failed to focus on the most important things. By Renato Mariotti Damon Winter/The New York Times Frank Bruni Trump's Guilty Verdict May Be a Political Accelerant The conviction may be a mere bump in the road. It could even be a political accelerant. By Frank Bruni ADVERTISEMENT Here's what we're focusing on today: Editors' Picks Paul Krugman What if This Is Our Last Real Election? The stakes for our democracy should be obvious. By Paul Krugman More From Opinion 'Is That Your Verdict?' As Trump Seethes, a Jury Says 'Yes.' A former president endures a ritual of democracy. By Jonathan Alter Time to Examine Why New York Fared Poorly Early in the Pandemic Albany needs to conduct a thorough review. By Mara Gay Guest Essay The Dizzying Rise and Damp, Deflated End of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak "Now is the moment for Britain to choose its future," Rishi Sunak told an indifferent nation as water soaked into his suit. By Sam Freedman David French 'Ukraine Has Gone Through a Terrible Period': A Q. and A. With Frederick and Kimberly Kagan We're at a crucial moment in the war. By David French Guest Essay Sports Gambling Is a Ticking Time Bomb Betting puts pressure on pro athletes. The cracks are starting to show. By Leigh Steinberg ADVERTISEMENT The Ezra Klein Show Your Mind Is Being Fracked The historian of science D. Graham Burnett on what's at stake in the rise of an extractive attention economy and how we can reclaim our attention. 1 HR 12 MIN LISTEN Ángel Hernández Made Baseball Great We all love to hate the ump show. By Adam Sternbergh Pablo Martinez Monsivais/Associated Press letters Objections to Alito's Refusal to Recuse Readers discuss the flag controversy involving the justice's wife. Also: Math for all, not just the few; medical consent; Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and history. We hope you've enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times. Games Here are today's Mini Crossword, Wordle and Spelling Bee. 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