Judge fines Donald Trump more than $350 million, bars him from running businesses in N.Y. for three years
NBCFEB 2024
The Spin
Anti-Trump narrative
The New York court has dealt a humiliating blow to Trump's carefully crafted image of being a gifted businessman who has run an empire through charm, glitz, and smarts. At the same time, it has shown that the judicial system is indeed able to constrain this irrepressible figure who risks damaging American unity and democratic institutions.
Pro-Trump narrative
Everyone knew from the onset that Trump would be punished harshly in this politically motivated trial, especially as the former president had been declared guilty before the trial even began. Democrats may be celebrating now that they've proved Trump has a propensity for exaggeration, but all they've really done is shown Americans the justice system is rigged against him.
Narrative C
If recent trends are anything to go by, this defeat is only going to bring more wind under Trump's wings. Trump seems to gather more support among voters every time he's saddled with litigation — along with less public trust in the legal system — and this time is unlikely to be any different.