In a historic turn of events, Donald Trump has etched his name into the books as the first former US president to receive a criminal conviction. He was found guilty on all charges in his widely followed hush-money trial.
Today’s verdict, announced in a Manhattan courtroom, concludes with Trump guilty on 34 charges of falsifying business records.
The charges stem from a payment made by Trump’s former attorney, Michael Cohen, to adult film actress Stormy Daniels, intended to prevent her from disclosing a past affair during the run-up to the 2016 election. Despite the charges, Trump has continually denied any wrongdoing.
Exiting the courthouse, Trump remained defiant, rejecting the jury’s decision and labeling the trial a ‘disgrace.’ He maintained his innocence vehemently.
“This was a rigged, disgraceful trial,” Trump said, shifting focus to the upcoming presidential election: “The real verdict is going to be November 5, by the people. They know what happened here, and everybody knows what happened here.”
Trump also lamented the state of the nation: “Our whole country is being rigged right now,” he stated.
“We’ll keep fighting. We’ll fight till the end, and we’ll win because our country’s gone to hell. This is long from over,” he added.
The Biden-Harris campaign responded swiftly, with a statement underscoring the rule of law: “No one is above the law.”
“Donald Trump has always mistakenly believed he would never face consequences for breaking the law for his own personal gain,” the statement from the current administration read.
“But today’s verdict does not change the fact that the American people face a simple reality. There is still only one way to keep Donald Trump out of the Oval Office: at the ballot box. Convicted felon or not, Trump will be the Republican nominee for president.
“The threat Trump poses to our democracy has never been greater. He is running an increasingly unhinged campaign of revenge and reclusion, pledging to be a dictator ‘on day one’ and calling for our Constitution to be ‘terminated’ so he can regain and keep power.
“A second Trump term means chaos, ripping away Americans’ freedoms and fomenting political violence – and the American people will reject it this November.”
Meanwhile, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson described the verdict as a ‘shameful day in American history.’
Consequences for Trump following his conviction could range from a monetary fine to up to four years in prison for each count, with sentencing scheduled for July 11.
The former president is poised to be sentenced on the 11th of July, marking another significant date in this unprecedented legal saga.