Summary: The conviction of former President Donald Trump on 34 charges in his hush money trial has intensified the already deep political divide in America. Unlike a Hollywood narrative, where a corrupt politician's conviction unites the nation or a wrongly accused leader is vindicated, the real-life outcome saw Trump's supporters decrying the verdict as unjust, while his critics celebrated. This hyper-partisan reaction highlights the broader issue in American politics: the focus on mutual disdain rather than policy. As the 2024 presidential election approaches, the country's polarization remains stark, with each side demonizing the other, devoid of hope for a unifying resolution.

Donald Trump's Conviction: A Reflection of America's Deep Political Divide

In a Hollywood movie, a populist politician charged with a crime and convicted would end and bring the country together. The lead character would be presented as a corrupt villain and finally even his most ardent supporters would see the light.

In another version of the same story, a wrongly accused and noble politician, wrongly charged on (no pun intended) trumped-up charges would be vindicated. The crooked DA and the nefarious judge failed to sway the jury, and the lead character emerges from the courthouse to cheers.

Neither version of the story unfolded in a Manhattan courthouse on Thursday when former President Donald Trump was found guilty of all 34 charges in his hush money trial. Instead, almost on cue – Trump supporters called it a miscarriage of justice, while critics of the former president cheered at his conviction.

The loud hyperbole and hyper-partisan opinions about the outcome of Thursday's trial could portent how Americans will react in November following this year's presidential elections. More importantly, it actually speaks to the problem with American politics, and more importantly our elections. President Joe Biden remarked in a past speech that you can't only be patriotic and love your country when you win.

That, of course, cuts both ways.

It means accepting the outcome of elections – and we should be reminded that Trump's victory in 2016 was greeted by protests and years of celebrities and others who all-too-often made their "Not My President" opinion loud and clear. The same holds true of the 2020 election.

We Hate the Other Side

Donald Trump was wrong to urge supporters to chant "lock her up" about a political rival in 2016, and likewise, Republicans are wrong today to call the verdict a "hoax," "sham" or to otherwise suggest the judicial system is somehow compromised. Trump literally had his day in court, just as he'll continue to have his day in court with his other trials.

The great irony is that the majority of Americans don't want either Donald Trump or Biden to even be running for president. We're facing an election where we're truly voting against the other guy rather than for the person we want to serve as president for the next four years. This is why the focus is so often on the crimes Trump may or may not have committed, and whether Biden can manage a flight of stairs.

This election isn't about their policies. It is about how much we hate the other guy.

There has been no shortage of trial and verdict misinformation and disinformation on social media this week, but for months anyone who has paid attention has seen the repeated warnings that we can't let the other side win. It will mean the end of the country, the end of democracy – and yes both sides are saying it. We're told the other guy is part of a crooked criminal cabal and has sold out the country.

This verdict really didn't change anything.

There will be no Hollywood ending, not with this trial, and certainly not in November. The verdict only reminds us that half the country might be cheering in a few months and the other half out on the streets. That shouldn't be the new normal in America but that's what we continue to face.

Author Experience and Expertise: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].

Image Credit: Shutterstock. 

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