It is the kind of trivia question that sounds like a trick, but it isn't. Not anymore. If you had asked this a few years ago, the answer would have been a flat "no." Today, things are different. Donald Trump has been convicted of 34 felony counts. Honestly, the news cycle moves so fast that it is easy to lose track of the specifics. People argue about it on social media constantly. Some say it was a "rigged" process; others say it was "justice served." But if we are just looking at the court records and the law, the facts are pretty clear.
The short answer: Yes. On May 30, 2024, a jury in Manhattan found him guilty on every single count he faced in his New York hush money trial.
The 34 Counts: Has Donald Trump Ever Been Convicted of a Felony?
The specific charge was Falsifying Business Records in the First Degree. This is a Class E felony in New York. While it’s the lowest level of felony in the state, it is still a felony. It carries a maximum sentence of four years in prison, though most first-time offenders for this specific crime don’t end up behind bars.
So, why 34 counts?
It wasn't one single "lie" on a piece of paper. Each count represented a specific document—a check, an invoice, or a ledger entry—that prosecutors argued was part of a scheme to hide a $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels. Basically, the jury decided that Trump disguised these reimbursements to his then-lawyer Michael Cohen as "legal expenses" to keep the true nature of the payment secret during the 2016 election.
The trial lasted weeks. We saw testimony from Cohen, Daniels, and even former tabloid exec David Pecker. In the end, twelve regular New Yorkers sat in a room and decided he was guilty.
The Sentencing Twist in 2025
For a long time, everyone was waiting for the sentencing. It got pushed back. Then it got pushed back again. First, it was supposed to be in July 2024, but then the Supreme Court dropped a massive ruling on presidential immunity. That changed the math for Judge Juan Merchan.
📖 Related: Trump Approval Rating State Map: Why the Red-Blue Divide is Moving
Then Trump won the 2024 election.
This created a legal situation that literally no one in American history had ever dealt with. How do you sentence a President-elect? Can you put the leader of the free world on probation?
On January 10, 2025, just ten days before he was inaugurated for his second term, Judge Merchan finally handed down the sentence. He gave Trump an unconditional discharge.
- What is an unconditional discharge? It means the conviction stands—it’s on his record forever—but there is no jail time, no fine, and no probation.
- Why did the judge do it? Merchan basically said that while the crime was serious, the "unique and remarkable" circumstances of the presidency made any other sentence impossible to enforce without causing a constitutional crisis.
So, he is a convicted felon, but he didn't have to pay a dime or serve a day.
What Happened to the Other Cases?
You probably remember there were four big cases. It was a lot to keep track of. Besides the New York conviction, there was the classified documents case in Florida, the federal 2020 election interference case, and the Georgia racketeering case.
Kinda surprisingly, the New York case is the only one that made it to a verdict.
👉 See also: Ukraine War Map May 2025: Why the Frontlines Aren't Moving Like You Think
- The Federal Cases: In November 2024, following the election, Special Counsel Jack Smith moved to dismiss the federal charges. The Department of Justice has a long-standing policy that you can't prosecute a sitting president. Those cases essentially vanished.
- The Georgia Case: This one got bogged down in all sorts of side drama involving the DA, Fani Willis. Once Trump became president again, the case was largely put on ice because of the same "you can't prosecute a sitting president" logic.
Essentially, the New York conviction is the "lone survivor" of the legal blitz that defined 2023 and 2024.
Can a Convicted Felon Even Be President?
This was the big question everyone was Googling in 2024. The answer is yes. The U.S. Constitution has very few requirements for being president: you have to be at least 35 years old, a natural-born citizen, and have lived in the U.S. for 14 years.
It says absolutely nothing about criminal records.
Even if he had been sent to prison, he could have technically served from a cell (though that would have been a logistical nightmare for the Secret Service). Instead, he just moved back into the White House.
The Reality of the Appeal
Just because he was sentenced doesn't mean it’s over. Trump’s legal team filed an appeal almost immediately. They are arguing that the trial was tainted by evidence that should have been protected by "presidential immunity" and that the whole thing was politically motivated.
As of early 2026, the appeal is still grinding through the New York court system.
✨ Don't miss: Percentage of Women That Voted for Trump: What Really Happened
It could take years. If the appeals court agrees with him, the conviction could be tossed out. If they don't, it stays. He might even try to take it all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. For now, though, if you look at his record, those 34 counts are still there.
Does He Lose His Rights?
This is where it gets weirdly specific. Usually, felons lose the right to own a gun. That applies to him too.
What about voting?
Since he was convicted in New York but lives in Florida, Florida law applies. Florida says that if you are convicted in another state, you only lose your voting rights if that state (New York) would take them away. New York only takes away voting rights for felons while they are actually in prison. Since Trump isn't in prison, he can still vote.
Summary of the Current Status
To make it simple, here is where things stand right now:
- Status: Convicted Felon.
- Number of Counts: 34.
- Sentence: Unconditional Discharge (No jail/fine).
- Current Action: The case is under appeal in the New York courts.
- Other Cases: Mostly dismissed or paused indefinitely due to his return to the presidency.
It is a landmark piece of American history. No matter which side of the political aisle you’re on, the fact remains that the 45th and 47th President of the United States is the first person to hold that office with a felony record.
What You Should Do Next
If you are trying to keep up with the legal side of the presidency, there are a few things worth watching. First, keep an eye on the New York Appellate Division rulings. That is where the "guilty" verdict will either be upheld or overturned. Second, check the status of the immunity filings in the Georgia case, as those will determine if that case ever sees the light of day after 2028. Lastly, if you're curious about the specific documents that led to the conviction, the Manhattan D.A.'s office still has the trial exhibits public on their website—it's a fascinating, if dry, read into how the Trump Organization handled its books.