On Thursday, former President Donald Trump was found guilty on 34 felony counts in his New York "hush money" trial. This week, the jury deliberated for a total of 9.5 hours over the course of two days before reaching a verdict.
This week, members of the Democratic “squad” reacted to the news of Trump’s guilty verdict, claiming that Trump was held accountable for his actions and that justice had been served.
“Accountability is welcome and long overdue,” Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) wrote in a caption to her statement.
“Make no mistake, Donald J. Trump is not a man persecuted because of his politics – he has been defrauding people, exacting harm, and evading legal accountability for decades,” she claimed, adding that Trump “discriminates” against black tenants.
“This man is undoubtedly unfit to serve in public office. The treat he poses to our nation and our democracy cannot be overstated,” she concluded.
Accountability is welcome and long overdue.
— Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (@RepPressley) May 30, 2024
My full statement on today's unanimously guilty verdict. pic.twitter.com/eLk54YvvUP
Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez “gloated” about Trump’s guilty verdict at a town hall in the Bronx, according to the New York Post:
“He was found guilty on all 34 counts,” she said to applause. “The rule of law applies to everyone.”
She defended the jury and the judge, saying the case did not amount to a partisan prosecution as Trump has claimed, noting that his own lawyers screened the jurors.
“Donald Trump was convicted by a jury of his peers,” Ocasio-Cortez said.
In 2023, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (D) charged Trump with 34 counts of Falsifying Business Records in the First Degree. Trump pleaded not guilty to all charges. As Katie noted, Bragg's team didn't focus on proving the fraud charges. Instead, prosecutors honed in on "hush money payments" and focused on irrelevant details of an alleged affair.