As the conviction of Donald J. Trump on all 34 counts of fraud has been published, it is important to remember his roots in the film industry. Some may remember his career in the 1990s as a movie star, allegedly bullying his way into the movie Home Alone 2: Lost in New York and starring in a commercial for Domino’s Pizza. Recently, the former star has faced serious legal trouble due to his attempt to cover up a certain connection to a different film industry.
Trump is now in trouble for paying hush money to adult film star Stormy Daniels, with whom he had an affair at the time of the 2016 election. His crimes included falsifying government business records to prevent this affair from interfering with his presidential campaign. Stormy Daniels was paid large sums of money to keep voters uninformed of the affair. In a quote from ABC News, Trump called the trial “rigged [and] disgraceful.” The New York jury spent ten hours deciding upon the verdict and came back with convictions for every charge filed. Trump is the first president in history to have been convicted of a crime and felony.
While liberal parents across the United States are overjoyed, the Register Forum decided to interview Trump’s family to clarify the former president’s feelings about his conviction and what it may mean for his career. Unfortunately, Tiffany and Ivanka Trump did not get back to our reporters, so student interviews were conducted instead.
Most CRLS students were eager to comment on this topic. Sadie Darrah ’26 told the Register Forum, “I was so happy,” upon hearing the news of Trump’s conviction. Faye Giordano ’25 told the Register Forum, “I mean he used to be an actor so I think he deserves it.” Krissie Alexis ’26 inquired, “Why do you think actors deserve to go to jail?” To which Giordano responded, “Well I mean he was in Home Alone and basically ruined the whole movie.”
It is unclear whether or not Trump will appeal these charges, and so far, his campaign for the 2024 election remains in place. This event is reminiscent of the Watergate scandal, which also involved hush money and presidential corruption. However, Richard Nixon lost support after the public learned of his crime. Trump supporters have a history of supporting the former president regardless of his wrongdoings.
The undermining of democracy perpetrated by Trump could have his voters ignoring the jury’s verdict and continuing their support, similar to their reaction after Trump publicly refused to accept the results of the 2020 election, eventually leading to the January 6th insurrection. Some states also restrict felons from voting, and since this is unprecedented in American history, it is unclear if restrictions apply to running for office. Trump may have to revisit his career as an actor after this scandal.
This article also appears in our June 2024 print edition.
