Donald Trump and Hunter Biden’s convictions may have damaged the reputation of the US for good

His conviction came less than two weeks after Donald Trump was found guilty of 34 counts related to falsifying business records before the general election in 2016.

Hunter Biden was the first child of a sitting president to be criminally convicted, while Trump was the first US president to be criminally convicted.

Speaking to Business Insider, Payne said the historic convictions had “significantly damaged” the US’s reputation on the world stage.

The election won’t help save the US’s reputation

The presidential candidates had contrasting reactions to each conviction. While Trump told reporters his trial was “rigged,” Joe Biden said he’d accept the outcome of his son’s legal woes.

Trump used the publicity from his trial to capitalize on fundraising opportunities. Shortly after his guilty verdict was announced, his donor website crashed, a spokesperson wrote on X.

A person with knowledge of the Trump campaign who spoke to The New York Times said the campaign had hoped Hunter Biden would be acquitted during his trial, as it would prove the narrative that Trump was a victim of political persecution — and would probably raise millions of dollars from supporters.

John Zogby, a veteran pollster, told The Guardian that Hunter Biden’s guilty verdict could be a “marginal political gain” for the president and that his decision not to pardon his son would be seen positively.

“It pulls the rug out from under that Republican argument that the justice system is rigged against Republicans to get Trump,” Zogby said, adding, “A Biden did not get a pass.”

Hunter Biden’s conviction might be slightly beneficial to his father’s campaign, Zogby said, though it wouldn’t “move mountains.”

Payne said that in contrast, it was likely to further damage the US’s reputation, which took a significant hit when Trump was convicted.

“It is hardly a ringing endorsement of the health of democracy in the United States that allegations of the politicization of the judicial system or questions about candidates’ commitment to the rule of law feature so prominently in the campaign,” Payne said.

If Joe Biden were to be elected, he might attempt to rebuild the US as “an example of a country where no one is above the law,” Payne said. But as the president’s approval rating reached a record low this week, his future in The White House is unknown.

On Monday, FiveThirtyEight’s weighted tracker recorded a 37.4% approval rating for Joe Biden, compared with 41.6% for Trump. Neither candidate is considered hugely popular, with an April Pew Research Centre survey suggesting that 49% of voters would replace both candidates if they could.

This makes the upcoming election particularly difficult to call.

“Even if Trump isn’t elected, when you have one of the two major presidential candidates and someone who is a former president who carries a criminal conviction, it kind of undermines your case that the democratic system is superior,” Payne said.

“So there’s a big undermining of the US brand, irrespective of whoever is elected in November,” he added.

Representatives for The White House and the respective Biden and Trump campaigns didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.