Welcome to the online version of From the policy deskevening bulletin that brings you the latest reporting and analysis from the campaign trail, the White House and Capitol Hill from the NBC News Politics team.
In today’s edition, Chief White House Correspondent Peter Alexander runs through a lengthy list of other potential turning points still to come in the 2024 election. Plus, Senior Legal Correspondent Laura Jarrett follows the legal origins of the case in which a jury found Trump guilty on Thursday. — and where this business might go next.
Trump’s ruling won’t be the last major event to shake up the 2024 race
By Peter Alexander
Thursday was a day for the US history books: For the first time, a former president became his party’s presumptive presidential nominee. found guilty of committing a crime.
And the conviction of Donald Trump can While it’s equally possible that the overall environment won’t change much, it could change the contours of a potentially stable presidential race.
But remember that there are other things that have the potential to affect the race or elevate the event over the next five months.
They include guaranteed events that we know are coming:
- The criminal trial of Hunter Biden, the president’s son, will begin on June 3.
- The first presidential debate is scheduled for June 27 (and the second for September 10).
- Trump’s verdict on July 11, four days before the start of the GOP convention.
- Trump’s latest vice presidential pick.
And then there is possible events that could shake the race. They include:
- Development of events in Ukraine, Gaza and maybe even North Korea.
- A health scare involving the 81-year-old president or his 77-year-old opponent.
All of this is a reminder that an important chapter in the 2024 presidential race has come to an end. But the book is far from finished.
On the long road to this week’s big verdict
By Laura Jarrett
For years, it was known as a “zombie” case in the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. Many thought it was a natural jury appeal, but the application of the law is new and untested.
On Thursday, the zombie came back to life.
“Guilty.” A word uttered 34 times by the jury foreman in a stuffy, stark courtroom to the world’s most powerful defendant.
The law on the books certainly benefits the prosecution. The state took a criminal case years after the events in question and raised it to a felony. And prosecutors had only one witness — convicted of perjury under oath — who directly linked Trump to the alleged crime. However, the jury was told they could not convict Michael Cohen on his word alone. They were instructed to leave any bias for or against Trump at the door.
The public won’t know what happened between the 12 New Yorkers in the debate until one of them speaks. But the jurors who watched them in court nearly every day for almost seven weeks were engaged and alert, even in the harsh conditions and long days.
The political turmoil associated with this belief will manifest itself over time. But as a legal matter, it’s just getting started. Appeals, potential delays and more disputes are inevitably on the way. Only time will tell if the zombie will once again fall to the ground forever.
More Trump sentencing coverage from NBC News
🙋 in the states: NBC News spoke with more than 30 battleground voters about their reactions to Trump’s ruling, from asking if it will hurt him to believing there will be a backlash in his favor. More →
🕵️ Brief case: Thursday’s guilty verdict in the impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump is unlikely to affect U.S. intelligence agencies’ plans to provide briefings to former President Donald Trump after he is officially declared the Republican presidential nominee, a U.S. official told NBC News. More →
🌀 Rotation period: As the dust from the verdict began to settle, Trump and his supporters tried to flood the region to insist the system was rigged against him all along. More →
What else happened today…
- ✅On the ballot paper: The Ohio Legislature has approved legislation that would allow Biden to be on the state’s November ballot, even though he was nominated after the state’s deadline. More →
- ⛳Flag cap: It turns out that the “Call to Heaven” flag, the Revolutionary War-era flag that was taken over by rioters on Jan. 6 and flown outside Justice Alito’s home, has been flying on the property of The New York City in San Francisco for decades. The Times reports that the flag has been taken down. More →
- 📬Middle East offer: Biden announced that Israel has proposed a three-part plan that would lead to a ceasefire and the release of all hostages. A senior Israeli security official told the families Of those in control of Hamas, Prime Minister Netanyahu will not agree to a deal to end the war in exchange for the release of hostages unless polls show it is a popular move. More →
- 🟣Mr Independence: West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin is leaving the Democratic Party and registering as an independent, raising speculation about whether he still plans to leave elected office at the end of the year. More →
- ⚖️Abortion ban reinstated in Texas: The state Supreme Court unanimously rejected a challenge to the abortion ban over concerns that it applied to pregnancies that would endanger the health of the mothers. More →
For now, here they are from The Politics Desk. If you have feedback – like it or not – send us an email politicsnewsletter@nbcuni.com
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