The initial headlines following yesterday afternoon’s Trump trial verdict showed political differences. Liberal publications put the spotlight on what is now Trump’s official status. New York Times and Washington Post headlines were identical: “Trump guilty on all counts.” Conservative publications emphasized that this was a decision by a jury in New York. Epoch Times: “Jury Convicts Trump on All 34 Counts in New York Trial.” World: “Jury Convicts Trump in New York business fraud case.”
This morning, some stories offered context. The Dispatch led with, “Former President Donald Trump has often ventured where no president has gone before: He was the first to have been divorced more than once, to be impeached twice, to try to obstruct the peaceful transfer of power, to have a social media account suspended, and the first to face a criminal jury trial. On Thursday, that list grew ever longer: Trump is now the first former president in U.S. history to be convicted on felony charges.”
Second-day stories analyzed the decision’s effect on the Trump campaign. The Wall Street Journal put it most bluntly: “Former president will barrel ahead with his effort to oust Biden despite felony.” World this morning led with how the verdict could help Trump: “Just a short time after a New York jury found former President Donald Trump guilty of business fraud on Thursday, donors overwhelmed his campaign donation web site, temporarily crashing it.”
Editorials offered additional analysis. The New York Times editorial board summed it up in three words: “Donald Trump, felon.” Times columnist Michelle Goldberg started with four, plus an exclamation point: “The mountain of evidence!” Veteran reporter Frank Bruni was wry, calling this first of four Trump trials “the case most easily characterized as an overreaction — as much ado about rutting.”
Southern Baptist Theological Seminary professor Al Mohler stated, “Say what you will about Donald Trump and his sex scandals, he doesn’t confuse male and female. Furthermore, the events connected to this trial will only serve to fire up Trump’s base and give him even more moral credibility when tells the American people, ‘I told you so. It’s me today and they’re coming for you tomorrow.’ The biggest effect of this verdict, reached so suspiciously fast, is likely to be that Biden’s team feels self-satisfied and Trump’s team is fired up. My guess is that far more Americans will be fired up than satisfied by this verdict and New York’s misuse of the law.”
David French predicted that the verdict “will have an impact. Biden’s main weakness is with disconnected voters, and if there is one single news item that can break through with even the most apathetic citizens, it’s the headline ‘Trump Guilty on All Counts.’ MAGA will redouble its support for Trump, of course, and some disconnected voters may well believe that the prosecution was political, but Trump is now a felon, and that will matter.”
Yes, headlines are important. The main headline on the Fox News website this morning was, “Trump fires warning shot to Biden as he’s freed to hit campaign trail following historic conviction.” ###