Trump's Hush Money Case Reveals How The U.S. Criminal System Perpetuates White Supremacy.

He is a convicted felon charged with 88 criminal offenses across four cases, already convicted of 34 counts on one of those charges, AND was found liable for defamation for publicly attacking a woman he sexually assaulted. He is STILL able to run for president of the United States and might win. How?

Answer: He’s a man. He’s white. He's rich.

On May 30, 2024 a jury found Donald Trump guilty of all 34 counts in his hush money trial.

…Yay?

While it’s refreshing to see a powerful white man being held somewhat accountable for the harm he has caused, as an abolitionist, I don’t celebrate the prospect of anyone going to jail. And let’s face it—that’s not even going to happen to Trump.

I’m more interested in what Trump’s convictions reveal about our carceral system. Let’s break it down in 4 parts:

1.No matter how guilty, Trump's not going to jail.

The chances of Trump going to jail are slim, despite being found guilty on 34 counts and having three other criminal cases pending. If Trump wasn’t a man, wasn’t rich and powerful and most importantly, wasn’t white, we’d be telling a different story.

Data from the NAACP shows that one in three Black boys born today can expect to be sentenced to prison. The rate for Latino boys is one in six, and for white boys, it’s one in 17. Simply being white significantly lowers Trump’s chances of going to jail. Add the fact that he’s also a rich and influential man… he’s basically immune to prison. But let’s say he did go to prison. He could still win the presidency while incarcerated, pardon himself, and say goodbye to life behind bars. So, yes… immune.

2. No matter what outcome, Trump can still run for president.

Despite what happens with Trump’s criminal cases, he can still run for president. Meanwhile, most people who are released from jail can’t get a job with 72 percent of all post-release restrictions impacting job opportunities. People released from prison have a hard time finding housing as well. More than 70 million people in the U.S. with arrest records struggle to find a place to live—something Trump surely doesn’t have to worry about with his multiple residencies.

3. Trump is not losing his chance to vote, unlike the 4.4 million people in the U.S. who have been convicted of a felony and have had their voting rights revoked.

If Trump went to jail, he could still vote once released. Although he is a resident of Florida, one of the nine states in the US where a felony conviction bars a person from ever voting again, he was convicted in New York. New York law only removes the right to vote for people convicted of felonies while they’re incarcerated. Once they’re out of prison, their voting rights are restored. Florida restores voting rights if the state of conviction does so as well. So Trump would still be able to vote.

But let’s say Trump was convicted in Florida. Even then, he’d have a good chance of getting his voting rights restored. All he would need is the governor of Florida, his good ol’ mate DeSantis, to pardon him. Minutes after Trump was convicted, DeSantis posted a four-paragraph tweet defending Trump. No doubt that Trump could count on that pardon. What other convicted felon can say that? A good friend of mine—and one of the kindest, most incredible do-gooders I’ve met—is in the process of requesting a pardon, and it is HARD, not to say almost impossible. Pardons aren’t granted by merit; they’re granted based on political convenience.

4. Trump can buy his way out of jail through bail, unlike the 42 million people who remain incarcerated because they are too poor to post bail.

A month ago, Trump posted $175 million bail, and Kevin O’Leary (Shark Tank guy) was interviewed on CNN (I still don’t understand why he was chosen as the “expert voice” to comment on this) to give his reactions. O’Leary celebrated the judge’s decision and said that it showed the criminal “justice” system works. And I agree. That’s exactly the problem. Trump CAN pay $175 million and stay out of jail, while 60 percent of the seven million people sent to jail each year can’t afford the cash bail amount required for their release. The system is designed to benefit the rich who can buy their way out of jail, while further punishing the poor for being poor.

So there you have it. 4 reflections on how Trump's criminal hush money case shows the U.S. criminal justice system hides under the word "justice" in order to perpetuate white supremacy. It’s not a system of justice. It’s not a system holding people accountable. It’s not a system dedicated to rehabilitating people and providing them with the resources to thrive. That’s why it needs to be abolished. We need to find a new way to hold people accountable, restore justice, and repair harm.