Former President Donald Trump’s guilty verdict elicited mixed responses from Americans across the spectrum, and on Thursday, Tesla CEO and billionaire Elon Musk and hedge-fund manager Bill Ackman slammed the outcome as a travesty of justice.
What Happened: It all started with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ comments about the verdict. In a post on X, formerly Twitter, DeSantis, who once contended with Trump but has since then quit the Republican presidential primary race, said the verdict represented the “culmination of a legal process that has been bent to the political will of the actors involved: a leftist prosecutor, a partisan judge and a jury reflective of one of the most liberal enclaves in America—all in an effort to "get" Donald Trump.”
“That this case—involving alleged misdemeanor business records violations from nearly a decade ago—was even brought is a testament to the political debasement of the justice system in places like New York City. “
The Florida Governor also took potshots at the New York District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who brought this case, calling the latter as one who “routinely excuses criminal conduct in a way that has endangered law-abiding citizens in his jurisdiction.”
He also argued that if Trump weren’t the defendant, the judge would have never issued similar rulings, and the jury would have never returned a guilty verdict. “In America, the rule of law should be applied in a dispassionate, even-handed manner, not become captive to the political agenda of some kangaroo court,” he said, concluding his rant.
“Well said,” Musk, who is very forthcoming with his political leanings and ideologies on X, the platform he owns, said in reaction.
Hedge fund manager Ackman, who is rumored to announce his endorsement of Trump, seemed to agree with every bit of the governor’s argument. “I think any objective person would have to agree with,” he said.
Musk joined in the conversation and said it was “troubling.” “The American people as a whole should decide who is president,” he said.
Separately, Musk reacted to a post by Shaun Maguire, a partner at venture capital firm Sequoia. Maguire started off the post by saying he just donated $300,000 to Trump and was prepared to lose friends.
In the post, Maguire pointed out how Trump was strong with the Russians, signed the Abraham Accords to bring peace to the Middle East, put Iran in the “penalty box” and prompted India to ban Huawei and TikTok. “To my shock, I believe Trump was one of the best foreign policy Presidents in decades, and during the most complex period in almost a century, as the East rises, which leads to a changing set of rules,” he said.
The venture capitalist also slammed the legal witch-hunting that Trump faces now. “I personally consider the double standards and lawfare against Trump to be 10x worse, and 10x more dangerous for our Democracy.”
Maguire said he believed the justice system is being weaponized against Trump. “Given the two choices, I believe President Trump is overwhelmingly the stronger candidate,” he said.
Musk was in agreement with Maguire and said, “I think you're right.”
Why It’s Important: As things stand, Democrats and left-leaning policy experts point out the propriety of the ruling and also underline the potential perils of a second term for Trump. Michael Cohen, a former Trump fixer and who served as a conduit for siphoning hush money to adult movie star Stormy Daniels and was incarcerated for his role, has since then turned into a witness. Reacting to the verdict, Cohen said “Since no one is above the law, Donald needed to be held accountable, just like any of us.”
On the other hand, a Financial Times report said Corporate America and Wall Street are swaying toward Trump. The recent endorsement of Trump by Blackstone CEO Stephen Schwarzman was an “all-clear signal for others sitting on the fence.”
Each of the 34 felony charges carried up to $5,000 fine and a four-year prison sentence but whether Trump will be imprisoned depends on Acting New York State Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan, who has scheduled the sentencing for July 11. Even if Trump is jailed, he can contest the Nov. 5 presidential election, although he may not be eligible to cast his own vote.
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