El Pasoans react to former President Donald Trump’s conviction
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Following the guilty verdict of all 34 felony charges against former President Donald Trump, ABC-7 spoke with El Pasoans to see how they felt about the historic verdict.
Some El Pasoans told ABC-7 the decision on the verdict came as a surprise as he was found guilty on all charges, while others said this was a long time coming.
Francisco Urueta, an El Pasoan, said he believes this decision could potentially benefit Trump.
“A lot of people believe that this conviction instead of, you know, damaging him, is going to help him," said Urueta.
Other El Pasoans, like Mick Martinez, said they believe the decision on the verdict probably won't have a great impact on people changing their vote.
“I think people are pretty convinced on who they want to vote for. I think it's going to strengthen those convictions, whether you're for him or against him," said Martinez.
Dr. Richard Pineda, director of the Sam Donaldson Center for Communication Studies at the University of Texas at El Paso, says something of this magnitude would have ended the possibility for somebody to run any other time.
“What you're seeing today is the reaction that I think reflects a polarized country. So I think half the country was pleased with this decision. And, you know, sort of said, "This is what we expected." The other half of the country thinks this is a sham trial with a sham judge,” said Dr. Pineda.
Texas Senator Ted Cruz responded to the Trump verdict by saying in part quote:
“This is a dark day for America. This entire trial has been a sham, and it is nothing more than political persecution. The only reason they prosecuted Donald Trump is because Democrats are terrified that he will win reelection."
Congresswoman Veronica Escobar said in a post on the platform X, in part quote:
"This conviction was decided by a jury of Americans whose allegiance to the law came above all else. That is our system of justice. And no one in America should be above the law."
