Actor John Cusack Reacts To America Voting In A ‘Convicted Felon’

Actor John Cusack has joined the long list of Hollywood figures to react to Donald Trump’s 2024 election victory.

The election marks a historic moment in U.S. history, as Trump becomes the first President-elect to have a criminal conviction. In May of this year, a jury found the 77-year-old guilty of charges related to a 2016 hush money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. The guilty verdict, read on May 30, 2024, followed years of legal scrutiny, ultimately making Trump the first President in U.S. history to carry a felony conviction into office.

John Cusack, known for his outspoken political views, commented on the election result, stating that the country has destroyed itself  “by voting in a convicted felon.”

Known for his roles in films like “Say Anything” and “Being John Malkovich,” Cusack lamented the state of the country, arguing that electing a convicted felon sends a troubling message about the values and standards upheld by the American electorate.

“Harris may well come through Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania,” he wrote in an X post shortly after midnight on Wednesday, November 6. “The fact that the country would choose to destroy itself by voting in a convicted felon rapist and Nazi is a sign of deep nihilism — To put it mildly.”

In a landmark decision, a New York jury found former President Donald Trump guilty on all 34 charges in a case involving a 2016 hush money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. This ruling makes Trump the first former U.S. President to be convicted of a felony, marking a profound moment in American political and legal history.

The 77-year-old Trump faced trial on charges linked to a $130,000 payment made to Daniels in 2016, which prosecutors argued was intended to silence her regarding a 2006 encounter with Trump.

Throughout the trial, the prosecution presented evidence to support their argument that Trump and his associates orchestrated the payment as part of a broader effort to shield his campaign from damaging revelations. This move, they argued, violated campaign finance laws and further highlighted a pattern of concealment and deception aimed at protecting Trump’s political image.

After two days of deliberation, the jury reached its verdict on May 30, 2024, concluding that the payment was meant to influence the outcome of the 2016 presidential election in Trump’s favor.

Cusack has been a vocal critic of Trump throughout his political career and used his platform to share his concerns about the election’s impact on the country’s future.

“The dumb treacherous criminal is now a convicted felon – 34 times over,” he said earlier this year in regard to Trump’s hush money trial. “Now, what will [the] judge do with Trump contempt violations.”

Actor Billy Baldwin also spoke out at the time. “Guilty on all counts. E. Jean Carroll … Stormy Daniels… Election interference, espionage and inciting an insurrection coming up,” he said earlier this year.

In 2020, John Cusack indicated that he would no longer engage with friends and family who were not “aggressively anti-Trump.”

At the time, the actor informed his Twitter followers that he was “blocking anyone” who wasn’t actively committed to removing Trump from the White House in the upcoming November election.

“I’m sure you’ve all been through it with some family co-workers – or friends,” he said, per The Independent. “Those who cannot see or choose not to see what [Trump] is, we are done talking – permanently.”

He added, “Sorry, no time for your BS.”

This conviction is just one of several legal challenges Trump is confronting; however, his presidential win may largely shield him from facing these criminal cases in the near future, experts told Business Insider.

For now, Trump’s supporters and critics alike await the next steps, as the former President stands on the brink of a historic sentencing that could redefine the boundaries of American political life.