Episode 19: The Look and Feel of Guilty

Guilty. Guilty on 34 counts. A convicted felon. Even in an era when the most outrageous behavior is normalized, these words cut through the noise. Something about Trump has changed since the verdict. His body language is less defiant and more defeated, and his ranting seems even more discombobulated than before. How can he process the fact that a jury of ordinary citizens has done what his fellow partisans refuse to do and what no one has ever done in his life—hold him to account for his actions? We can now drop the word “alleged” when referencing his crimes. We can now confirm that “lock her up” was projection. But what difference will it make to an electorate that’s so deeply divided? Not long ago, it would have been unthinkable to imagine a major political party nominating a felon, but this is 2024. Will it matter in November? As Republicans rush to normalize the convictions and argue that they will boost Trump’s campaign, we’ll consider the possibility that last Thursday was a tipping point in the presidential race—and not one that’s going to benefit the felon.