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Donald Trump on Thursday (May 30) became the first US president — current or former — to be convicted of a crime. A New York jury has found the ex-president guilty on all 34 charges in his hush money case involving porn actress Stormy Daniels. The damning verdict comes just months before an election that could see him return to the White House.

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Hours after the verdict, Trump campaign announced that they recorded a whopping $35M in fundraising haul as former president's supporters began showing their support towards the embattled presumptive Republican presidential nominee for November US presidential elections.  

Trump's guilty verdict

The jury, as per reports, found him guilty on each of the 34 counts of falsifying business records to hide a hush money payment meant to silence porn star Stormy Daniels. 

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With this, the 77-year-old Republican is now a felon — a historic and startling first in a country where presidents are frequently described as the most powerful man in the world.

Also read | Trump becomes first former US president to be convicted following verdict in hush money trial

The seven things that led to Trump's guilty verdict

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1. Incriminating Audio

A covert recording captured Trump asking his lawyer, Michael Cohen, about payment details for hush money to Playboy model Karen McDougal, reinforcing evidence of his involvement.

"So, what do we got to pay for this? 150 ($150,000)?" Donald Trump is heard saying.

2. Explicit Encounter

Stormy Daniels' explicit testimony — including details like her spanking the businessman, and him not using a condom — about her encounter with Trump at a 2006 golf event illustrated his motive for the hush money, despite his denials of the affair.

3. David Pecker's Testimony/Confession

Former National Enquirer publisher, David Pecker, detailed a "catch and kill" scheme to buy and bury negative stories about Trump. He made mention of buying McDougal's silence for $150,000 and confirmed Trump's awareness and involvement.

4. "Just Do It" Orders

Michael Cohen recounted Trump instructing him to "just do it" to pay Daniels immediately.

Cohen said that Trump told him: "There's no reason to keep this thing out there. Just do it." 

"Push it out past the election, because if I win, it has no relevance and if I lose, I don't really care."

This helped highlight Trump's role in the scheme and suggested election fraud intentions.

5. Financial Evidence

Handwritten notes from Trump's CFO Allen Weisselberg detailed reimbursement plans for Cohen, including tax liabilities, and were corroborated by Cohen's bank statements.

Also read | Shares of Trump Media & Technology Group drop 6.5pc following Trump's conviction

6. Photo Proof

A photograph of Trump with his aide, Keith Schiller, matched the time of a disputed call between Cohen and the ex-president. Cohen claimed to have discussed details of Stormy Daniels' hush money with Trump on this call. The photo proof weakened the defence's argument against Cohen's claims.

7. Aide's Testimony

Hope Hicks, Trump's former campaign press secretary, doubted Cohen's altruism in paying Daniels. 

"I didn't know Michael to be an especially charitable person or selfless person," she said.

This cast doubt on Trump's defence narrative and bolstered the prosecution's case.

What sentence is Trump facing?

Donald Trump could in theory be sentenced to four years behind bars for each count, but is more likely to receive probation.

So Trump is no longer part of the US elections? 

Trump is not barred from continuing his battle to unseat President Joe Biden in November. This stands true even in the unlikely event he goes to prison.

His lawyer, Todd Blanche, said his team was eying an appeal "as soon as we can."

And Trump himself voiced immediate defiance.

"I'm a very innocent man," Trump told reporters, vowing that the "real verdict" would come from voters on election day and once again labelled the trial "rigged" and a "disgrace."

(With inputs from agencies)