“DA Voices” is a recurring feature used to spotlight De Anza College’s diverse community voices. We ask the same question to different people and arrange their quotes so that readers can see varying points of view.
In late May 2024, Donald Trump became the first former American President to be convicted of felony crimes when a jury found him guilty of 34 counts of falsification of business records. The cover up was in relation to a $130,000 payment he made to Stormy Daniels, a porn star who claims she and Trump had sex, for her silence during the 2016 election. Despite the guilty verdict, Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign is still going strong.
We asked students about their opinions on the issue and this is what they had to say.
Lupe Navarro, 22, sociology major, said that Trump being able to run while convicted is strange.
“It’s ironic that he’s still able to run with a criminal offense when criminals can’t vote or even get a job because of a conviction,” Navarro said. “And he could run while jailed.”
Cassandra Perea, 21, painting major, agreed with Navarro and said, “It’s crazy that he’s still able to run while so many others have their rights taken away post conviction.”
“It’s gerrymandering,” said Henry Bernert, 19, graphic design major. Bernert said that while it’s an interesting case, it puts the American way in a negative light. “Trump is a decent businessman, but a terrible president.”
Ricardo Banuelos, 22, film and TV production major, who asked for his photo not to be taken, said he agrees with the conviction.
“He should be locked up,” Banuelos said. “It’s the return on his investment for covering it up and he deserves severe punishment.”
Brian Blodgett, 20, film and TV production major said it was strange that Trump is still able to run with a felony charge.
“It’ll be a weird situation if he’s able to run with a conviction. I’m not sure if that’s allowed,” Blodgett said.
Shylla Bungubung, 21, nursing major, hasn’t kept up with the news and didn’t have any opinions on the topic.
“I lowkey have not followed politics recently, so I don’t really have an opinion,” Bungubung said.
