Checking in on Trump as a jury deliberates his criminal fate

The MoJo Daily newsletter, Monday through Friday. [View in browser]( [Support our nonprofit journalism]( [Mother Jones Daily Newsletter](     May 29, 2024 As of this writing, we are sitting pretty as we await a verdict in Donald Trump's hush-money trial. And the natural question at this juncture is whether Trump could really land in jail if convicted. Now, a reminder that for Trump to be convicted, it will take 12 New Yorkers to reach a unanimous decision. (Some are speculating that a hung jury is the likeliest outcome, but who knows.) But if found guilty, all eyes will then turn to Judge Juan Merchan, who has the final say on whether jail time is on the table. [Merchan has previously seemed wary of that option](, so I'm not holding my breath on that one. But how is Trump doing at this point? On social media, he appears anxious, posting a storm of quotes from political allies, as well as absurd claims that not even Mother Teresa could beat the charges against him. Honestly, that seems pretty routine Trump to me. Which is sort of how it feels to wait for a verdict in the first criminal trial of a former US president. Despite the immense historical nature of it, it's just another day in the rotten world in which Trump is the presumptive Republican presidential nominee. Ya know, any old Wednesday in this awful timeline. Depressing, no? —Inae Oh Advertisement [House Bookshop Ad]( [Top Story] [Top Story]( [Israel’s Rafah Assault Continues With New Airstrikes Near Tent Camps for Displaced Palestinians]( But American officials say it's not enough to stop supporting Israel. BY JULIANNE MCSHANE MOTHER JONES MEMBERSHIP UPDATE   How about something different? That’s how we’ve been thinking about things lately, because when it comes to democracy and journalism, two things we care deeply about, crisis has become [the new normal](, and it’s time to try doing something new. We merged with the Center for Investigative Reporting. It’s such a [strong pairing](, and it’s been inspiring. So instead of all the doom and gloom in the news these days, and thanks to a reader’s comment, we’re focusing on our real sense of optimism as we kick off our first big push [for the donations we need]( since taking that exciting, but also kind of scary, step forward. There’s more in “[Less Dreading, More Doing](,” but if you just want to feel the excitement like we do, here’s video correspondent Garrison Hayes in a video from late last year that we’re just now sharing widely. And here’s [a link to pitch in]( if you can. [Donate]( [Trending] [Brace yourself for an "extraordinary" hurricane season]( BY AMY GREEN   [A new documentary goes behind the scenes of Christian nationalism]( BY SOPHIE HAYSSEN   [Inside the fraud trial for the billionaire MAGA backed to take down Communist China]( BY DAN FRIEDMAN   [Louisiana already bans abortion with few exceptions. Now this.]( BY PEMA LEVY Advertisement [House Donations Ad]( [Special Feature] [Special Feature]( [An intriguing source for the metals we depend on: ocean water]( Desalinization waste, too, has large amounts of copper, zinc, magnesium, and more. BY JIM ROBBINS Did you enjoy this newsletter? Help us out by [forwarding]( it to a friend or sharing it on [Facebook]( and [Twitter](. [Mother Jones]( [Donate]( [Donate Monthly]( [Subscribe]( This message was sent to {EMAIL}. To change the messages you receive from us, you can [edit your email preferences]( or [unsubscribe from all mailings.]( For advertising opportunities see our online [media kit.]( Were you forwarded this email? [Sign up for Mother Jones' newsletters today.]( [www.MotherJones.com]( PO Box 8539, Big Sandy, TX 75755