Democracy on Trial

Published: January 12, 2025

In May 2024, a Manhattan jury found Donald Trump guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records to conceal hush‑money payments designed to influence the 2016 election. The verdict marked the first time a former or sitting U.S. president had been convicted of a felony. After his unexpected victory in the 2024 presidential election, the courts faced an unprecedented question: how to sentence a president‑elect.

The answer came slowly. In November 2024, Judge Juan Merchan indefinitely postponed Trump’s sentencing at the request of both prosecutors and the defense, noting that it would be improper to prosecute a sitting president【608087309335760†L50-L58】. The delay underscored the extraordinary nature of the case — a man convicted of felonies poised to take the oath of office.

On January 10 2025, Judge Merchan finally issued a sentence: an unconditional discharge. Trump was formally sentenced on 34 felony counts but received no fines, probation or jail time【243535598315752†L47-L58】. The court concluded that any punishment could impede the president‑elect’s ability to govern【243535598315752†L55-L58】. The conviction remains on the record【243535598315752†L97-L103】, but Trump immediately promised an appeal.

What this means for democracy

Regardless of one’s political affiliation, the spectacle of a convicted felon assuming the presidency is jarring. It highlights a profound tension between the rule of law and the will of the electorate. The fact that nearly half of voters chose to return Trump to the White House despite the guilty verdict【243535598315752†L142-L146】 reveals how deeply divided the nation has become. It also exposes weaknesses in our institutions: the Constitution does not bar felons from serving as president, and our legal system offers few tools for holding a president accountable while in office.

Yet the lesson of this moment is not cynicism; it is vigilance. When leaders stand above the law, democracy loses its rhythm. As the “We Rise” manifesto reminds us, authoritarianism begins with excuses and grows through complacency【819044182704204†L137-L159】. Our task is to speak up, to insist that no office grants immunity from truth, and to demand institutions that can withstand charismatic figures who believe themselves untouchable.

A call to rise

None of this requires hatred or hostility; it requires clarity. Trump’s legal troubles are a fact, not an attack. The appropriate response is renewed commitment to democratic norms: electing leaders of integrity, strengthening ethical safeguards, and supporting an independent judiciary. We must also reimagine civic engagement. Talk to your neighbors, attend local council meetings, support journalism, and vote in every election. If we stay seated when the powerful twist the law to suit themselves, we become accomplices. If we rise, we become the guardians of the republic.