Some Democratic leaders are eager to make former President Donald J. Trump’s new identity as a convicted criminal central to their pitch to voters on why he is unfit for office.
At the same time, there has been a movement on the left for years to end the stigma of criminal records and point out grave issues in the country’s legal system.
That is why in the wake of the news last week that a New York jury had found Mr. Trump guilty of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, there were especially complex and personal reactions among the millions of Americans who have also been convicted of felonies.
They debated whether the former president’s convictions made him one of them or only underscored how unlike them he was, and discussed their mixed feelings over hearing an entire country discuss the ramifications of having a rap sheet.
“He’s convicted, so now he’s in our community,” said Rahim Buford, 53, who also has a felony conviction on his record.
Persons:
Donald J, Trump, “ He’s, ”, Rahim Buford
Organizations:
Democratic
Locations:
New York