What Donald Trump’s fiery reaction to his conviction says about this moment in US politics

In the week leading up to the conviction delivered in a Manhattan courtroom on Friday, right-wing media was heavily focused on Donald Trump’s innocence. The hosts of the popular podcast “Timcast IRL,” who secured an exclusive 17-minute interview with the former president before his speech at the Libertarian National Convention, discussed the case extensively.

Their guest, Kash Patel, a former Trump administration official, argued that Michael Cohen, Trump’s former lawyer and the star witness against him, had "imploded the prosecution’s case." Host Tim Pool concurred, describing the case as "absurdity and insanity" and insisting that "there is nothing here."

The three hosts and their guest had been following the case closely and were convinced it was unfounded, believing only a "rigged system" could find Trump guilty.

However, on Friday, a jury found Trump guilty of falsifying business records related to hush money payments intended to cover up his affair with an adult movie star. Trump was found guilty on all 34 felony counts, becoming the first president in American history to be convicted of a crime.

Trump's unprecedented situation continues to make history, reflecting a deeply polarized America. Many Trump supporters, like Pool and his co-hosts, had anticipated this outcome. The guilty verdict reinforced their belief that the system is "rigged" against Trump and his supporters.

In the right-wing media universe, this conclusion is considered the only logical one. Trump has effectively used this narrative in right-wing media for years, and it has resonated. A day after the verdict, Trump reiterated to his supporters that “if they can do this to me, they can do this to anyone.”

Outside the right-wing media bubble, such comments are met with a mix of incredulity and concern. Mainstream media outlets highlight the significant threat this rhetoric—and the normalization of political violence—poses to American democratic institutions.

This stark divide in American politics is often labeled as "polarization," suggesting an increasing gap between right-wing and left-wing political universes. However, the idea that polarization is worsening or is the main problem implies a past golden age of political consensus and assumes a constant political center to return to, which is not necessarily accurate.

This narrative also feeds into Trump’s portrayal of President Joe Biden and the Democratic Party as extremists, despite them not fitting such descriptions. The reality of American politics is not just about polarization but about fundamentally irreconcilable worldviews between the two camps.

The vastly different reactions to Trump’s conviction illustrate a deeper truth: the United States has never been a completely unified country. While Trump didn’t create this division, he has masterfully exploited it, turning his criminal conviction into a potential campaign advantage.

Those who maintain faith in American democracy and its institutions argue that this division isn't absolute. They point to polling indicating that Trump supporters outside his core base could be swayed by a criminal conviction, especially among Democrats and independents who previously voted for Trump.

However, recent polling suggests that prison time, rather than a criminal conviction alone, might be decisive for voters—an unlikely scenario. Some polls indicate that a criminal conviction may not significantly impact voters at all.

Trump has a remarkable ability to shift the political landscape. Many voters admire his knack for avoiding accountability and defying the "rigged" system. His presidency and political career are marked by unprecedented events, and it’s now entirely possible that Trump could become the first former president to win an election despite—or perhaps because of—multiple criminal convictions.