The embattled former United States President, Donald Trump has been found guilty on all counts in his landmark New York criminal trial, marking the first time a former or sitting president has been convicted of a crime as he campaigns to return to the White House.
A jury of 12 Manhattan jurors unanimously convicted Trump on 34 counts of falsifying business records. Sentencing is scheduled for July 11.
Over the course of the six-week trial, the court heard testimony from 22 witnesses, including Stormy Daniels, whose alleged sexual encounter with Trump was central to the case. Trump, 77, denounced the verdict as a “disgrace” and vowed to “fight to the end.”
The charges stemmed from accusations that Trump concealed a payment made to buy Daniels’ silence in the final days of his 2016 election campaign. Prosecutors argued that Trump violated election law by disguising the payment as legal expenses.
Trump’s sentencing will occur just before the Republican National Convention, where he is expected to be confirmed as the party’s candidate to face Democratic incumbent Joe Biden in November. While a prison sentence is possible, a financial penalty is more likely. Trump has been released without bail.
As the guilty verdicts were read, Trump pursed his lips and looked at the jurors. The verdict came after two days of deliberations. Outside the court, amid heavy police presence, Trump called the trial a “disgrace” and claimed it was “rigged” by a “conflicted judge who was corrupt.” He stated that the “real verdict” would come from the people on November 5, insisting the matter was far from over.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, when asked if he would seek a prison term for Trump, declined to comment but defended the decision to prosecute, saying, “I did my job. Our job is to follow the facts without fear or favor, and that’s what we did here.”
The conviction does not bar Trump from running in the November election, but an appeal is almost certain. The impact of the verdict on the presidential race is uncertain, though some polls suggest it could sway voters in key swing states.
Brian Hughes, a senior adviser to the Trump campaign, noted a surge in supporter donations following the verdict. If Trump defeats Biden, he would be the first convicted criminal to occupy the White House.
Trump’s political allies quickly rallied to his defense. House Speaker Mike Johnson called it a “shameful day in American history” and criticized the “weaponization” of the justice system. Asa Hutchinson, a former Arkansas governor and Republican presidential candidate, acknowledged the difficulty of seeing a former president convicted but urged respect for the jury’s decision.
The Trump campaign is closely watching Republican responses, anticipating a “GOP civil war,” according to a source. Meanwhile, the Biden-Harris campaign emphasized the importance of the rule of law, with spokesperson Michael Tyler stating that the only way to keep Trump out of the Oval Office is through the ballot box. The White House Counsel’s Office also affirmed respect for the rule of law without further comment.
During the trial, prosecutors demonstrated that Trump falsified records when reimbursing his former lawyer Michael Cohen for the $130,000 hush-money payment to Daniels, misclassifying the reimbursements as legal expenses to evade campaign finance laws. Trump’s lead lawyer, Todd Blanche, argued unsuccessfully for acquittal, claiming Cohen committed perjury.
Cohen, in a statement on X (formerly Twitter), hailed the verdict as a victory for accountability and the rule of law, emphasizing the importance of truth.
Trump’s presence was required in the Manhattan court for the trial’s duration, limiting his campaign activities. Despite this, he continued to launch frequent attacks on Biden, asserting that the case was politically motivated.
Trump faces three other criminal cases, including two related to alleged election interference, but those trials are unlikely to begin before the presidential election on November 5.