New York: After former US President Donald Trump was found guilty of all 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in a scheme to illegally influence the 2016 presidential election and paying hush money payments to a porn actress, the Republican frontrunner called the trial 'rigged' and asserted that he will emerge victorious in the November election, saying that he was a "very innocent man". His remarks as Republicans from all corners of the US came out in his support, and his admirers threatened to riot over the conviction.
"This was a disgrace. This was a rigged trial by a conflicted judge who is corrupt. ... We'll keep fighting. We'll fight to the end, and we'll win. ... The real verdict is going to be Nov. 5, by the people. They know what happened here. I am a very innocent man," Trump told reporters after the conviction, as a final sentencing has been announced on July 11.
With Thursday's verdict, Trump has become the first former US President to be convicted in a criminal trial. The Manhattan jury found him guilty of falsifying business records after more than nine hours of deliberations over two days in the case stemming from a hush money payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels during his 2016 presidential campaign. However, the charge of falsifying business records is a Class E felony in New York, the lowest tier of felony charges in the state, which is unlikely to hamper his presidential race.
Given a deeply divided America particularly over Trump's re-election bid, it's unclear whether Trump's once-unimaginable criminal conviction will have any impact at all on the election. "In New York today, we saw that 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. 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," said the Biden campaign.
Republicans rally to Trump's support
Meanwhile, Trump's supporters and Republicans reacted in fury over the conviction and rushed to provide support to the ex-US President, who is expected to appeal the verdict and return to the campaign trail in an awkward dynamic as a convicted felon. Trump faces three other felony indictments, but the New York case may be the only one to reach a conclusion before the November election.
“This will backfire," said Indian-American former presidential aspirant Vivek Ramaswamy, a close aide and confidant of Trump. "The prosecutor is a politician who promised to nail Trump. The judge’s daughter is a Democrat operative who literally 'raised dollars from the trial' while her father presided over it."
US House of Representatives Mike Johnson called it a "shameful day in American history", accusing Democrats of crushing political opponents. "Democrats cheered as they convicted the leader of the opposing party on ridiculous charges, predicated on the testimony of a disbarred, convicted felon. This was a purely political exercise, not a legal one. The weaponization of our justice system has been a hallmark of the Biden Administration, and the decision today is further evidence that Democrats will stop at nothing to silence dissent and crush their political opponents," he said.
“Dems could have saved a lot of time by announcing the verdict first, and then having the trial...Pretty neat trick that the same Dem DA who makes violent felonies disappear conjured up these felonies,” said former Indian-American Governor Bobby Jindal from Louisiana. Ivanka, the second child of Donald Trump and his first wife Ivana, took to social media platform Instagram to post a nostalgic image. The photo shows a young Trump holding his daughter Ivanka, along with the caption "I love you Dad".
Major Republican donors rallied behind Donald Trump on Thursday, pledging millions of dollars to support him on a tumultuous day for his election campaign, causing his campaign site to briefly crash. Many conservative donors already viewed the New York hush money cash as political persecution, and mega-donors including casino billionaire Miriam Adelson and hotelier Robert Bigelow lined up behind Trump.
What will happen to Trump?
The judge presiding over the case, Juan Merchan, must first approve the verdict and enter a final judgment, though this is typically a formality. A date for sentencing has been announced on June 11, though it is unlikely to hinder Trump's presidential bid. It is also unlikely that Trump would go to jail for the hush money case.
The maximum sentence for Trump’s crime of falsifying business records is one to four years in prison. It is rare for people with no criminal history who are convicted only of falsification of business records to be sentenced to prison in New York. Punishments like fines or probation are more common. Trump could be placed under home confinement if punished beyond a fine and could also be released on bail while appealing his conviction.
Trump is likely to make arguments that Merchan rejected ahead of trial, including that the indictment is legally flawed and politically motivated. He is also likely to argue that Merchan deprived him of a fair trial by making legal errors, including doubtful testimony from porn star Stormy Daniels who said she had sex with Trump twice, remarks which his lawyers argue are aimed at inflaming the jury against him.
Trump will further use his conviction to fuel his campaign trail on Friday. "I’m confident that it’s gonna do more to help him win the White House than hurt him," said US Republican Senator Lindsey Graham. His top aides on Wednesday released a memo in which they insisted a verdict would have no impact on the election, whether Trump was convicted or acquitted.
(with inputs from agencies)
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