If you’ve been scrolling through your feed lately, you’ve probably seen a dozen different versions of the same headline. It's confusing. One person says he’s a convicted felon, another says the cases were dropped, and honestly, both are kinda right depending on which specific day or court case you’re looking at.
So, has Trump been convicted of any felonies? The short answer is yes.
On May 30, 2024, a jury in Manhattan found Donald Trump guilty on all 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. This made him the first former U.S. president in history to be convicted of a felony. But because he won the 2024 election and returned to the White House, the "punishment" part of that conviction looks a lot different than it would for anyone else.
The 34 Counts: What Actually Went Down in Manhattan
Basically, this whole case—often called the "hush money" trial—was about how Trump’s team handled payments to silence adult film actress Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election. The prosecution, led by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, didn't just argue that the payment was made. They argued that Trump illegally disguised reimbursements to his then-lawyer, Michael Cohen, as "legal expenses."
Under New York law, falsifying business records is usually a misdemeanor. But it becomes a Class E felony if the records were faked to commit or hide another crime. In this case, that "other crime" was a violation of New York election laws.
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The jury spent weeks listening to testimony from people like Cohen and Hope Hicks. They looked at checks, invoices, and ledgers. In the end, they were unanimous. Guilty on every single count.
The Sentencing Twist: Unconditional Discharge
For a long time, everyone was wondering: Is he going to jail? Sentencing was pushed back several times—first to July, then September, and eventually to after the November 2024 election.
Once Trump became the President-elect, the legal reality shifted. On January 10, 2025—just ten days before his second inauguration—Justice Juan Merchan handed down the sentence. He gave Trump an unconditional discharge.
"To be clear, the protections afforded the office of the president are not a mitigating factor. They do not reduce the seriousness of the crime or justify its commission in any way." — Judge Juan Merchan, January 2025
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What does "unconditional discharge" actually mean? It’s a bit of a legal unicorn. It means the conviction stands—he is still legally a convicted felon—but there is no jail time, no probation, and no fines. Judge Merchan basically admitted that while a "regular" citizen might have gone to prison, the U.S. Constitution and the Supreme Court’s rulings on presidential immunity made it nearly impossible to impose a standard sentence on a sitting (or about-to-be-sitting) president.
What About the Other Cases?
You might remember there were four big indictments. While the New York case resulted in a conviction, the others had a much different fate after the 2024 election:
- The Federal Classified Documents Case: This one, handled by Special Counsel Jack Smith in Florida, was dismissed by Judge Aileen Cannon in July 2024. After Trump won the election, the Department of Justice essentially dropped their appeals because of a long-standing policy that a sitting president cannot be prosecuted.
- The Federal Election Interference Case (Jan 6): Also led by Jack Smith. This case was officially dismissed in November 2024. Again, the DOJ's policy against prosecuting sitting presidents brought this to a screeching halt.
- The Georgia RICO Case: This state-level case involving election interference in Georgia went into a "grinding halt." Since a state can't really put a sitting president on trial due to the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution, legal experts say this is basically on ice until at least 2029.
Can He Just Pardon Himself?
This is the million-dollar question. Here is the nuance:
The President of the United States has the power to pardon federal crimes. He does not have the power to pardon state crimes. Because the 34 felony convictions happened in a New York State court, Trump cannot use his presidential pardon power to wipe them away.
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Only the Governor of New York (currently Kathy Hochul) or a New York appeals court could overturn or pardon those specific convictions. As of right now, Trump's legal team is still fighting the conviction in the New York appeals system, arguing that the Supreme Court's 2024 ruling on presidential immunity should have prevented certain evidence from being used at trial.
The Reality in 2026
So, where does that leave us today?
Donald Trump is currently serving as the 47th President of the United States. He is also a person with 34 felony convictions on his record. It's a weird, unprecedented paradox. He has all the power of the Oval Office, but if he were to apply for a job at a local bank or try to buy a firearm in certain states, those 34 felonies would—in theory—trigger a red flag.
The legal battles aren't "over" in the sense that they've vanished, but for the duration of his presidency, the "convicted felon" status is more of a historical and political label than a functional one.
Actionable Insights for Following the News:
- Check the Jurisdiction: Always look at whether a case is "Federal" or "State." If you hear "Trump pardoned himself," check if it's for a federal case. He can't touch the New York conviction.
- Watch the Appeals Court: The real story now is in the New York Court of Appeals. If they rule that the "immunity" decision applies to the evidence used in the hush money trial, those 34 convictions could actually be vacated.
- Understand "Unconditional Discharge": Remember that this is a final sentence. Even though there is no jail time, the guilty verdict remains on his permanent record unless an appeals court says otherwise.