On Thursday, former President Donald Trump was found guilty on 34 felony counts in his New York hush money trial. The jury deliberated for a total of 9.5 hours over the course of two days before reaching a verdict. The trial lasted six weeks.
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.
Other Republicans who ran against Trump for the White House reacted to the news on Thursday.
“Today’s verdict represents the culmination of a legal process that has been bent to the political will of the actors involved: a leftist prosecutor, a partisan judge and a jury reflective of one of the most liberal enclaves in America—all in an effort to “get” Donald Trump,” Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said on X.
“It is often said that no one is above the law, but it is also true that no one is below the law. If the defendant were not Donald Trump, this case would never have been brought, the judge would have never issued similar rulings, and the jury would have never returned a guilty verdict,” he continued. “In America, the rule of law should be applied in a dispassionate, even-handed manner, not become captive to the political agenda of some kangaroo court.”
Today’s verdict represents the culmination of a legal process that has been bent to the political will of the actors involved: a leftist prosecutor, a partisan judge and a jury reflective of one of the most liberal enclaves in America—all in an effort to “get” Donald Trump.
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) May 30, 2024
That…
Businessman Vivek Ramaswamy said, “The prosecutor is a politician who promised to nail Trump.”
“The judge’s daughter is a Democrat operative who literally *raised $$ from the trial* while her father presided over it.The jury instructions said they didn’t have to agree on the crime to convict.” he added.
“This will backfire.”
The prosecutor is a politician who promised to nail Trump.
— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) May 30, 2024
The judge’s daughter is a Democrat operative who literally *raised $$ from the trial* while her father presided over it.
The jury instructions said they didn’t have to agree on the crime to convict.
This will backfire.
Trump led criminal justice reform. Now he’s suffering criminal *injustice* at the highest level. One of surprising effects of this sham verdict: more black voters will flock to Trump in droves & for good reason. I didn’t think the Democrat Party would be so dumb, but here we are.
— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) May 30, 2024
Gov. Doug Burgum (R-ND) called the verdict "a travesty of justice."
"The American people will have their say in November," he added.
This verdict is a travesty of justice.
— Doug Burgum (@DougBurgum) May 30, 2024
The judge was a Biden donor.
The prosecutors were Biden supporters.
This Lawfare should scare every American.
The American people will have their say in November. https://t.co/WM4Fz9Wnen
Radio host Larry Elder, who dropped out of the presidential race and endorsed Trump last year, called the verdict an “outrage.”
“A monster has been unleashed. And if Democrats don’t think Republican AGs and DAs can’t unleash law fare on Democrat politicians, think again!!!” he wrote.
The verdict is an outrage. A monster has been unleashed. And if Democrats don’t think Republican AGs and DAs can’t unleash law fare on Democrat politicians, think again!!!
— Larry Elder (@larryelder) May 30, 2024
Trump Criminal Trial: Even Trump-Hating Analysts Scratch Their Headshttps://t.co/LBu6NZbWu3
Before the verdict was announced on Thursday, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott wrote, “The only verdict that matters is the one at the ballot box” and that the trail was “a politically motivated circus in an effort to engineer an election and keep Donald J. Trump off the campaign trail.”
A friendly reminder that this trial is… A sham. A spectacle. A stunt.
— Tim Scott (@votetimscott) May 30, 2024
A politically motivated circus in an effort to engineer an election and keep Donald J. Trump off the campaign trail.
This is a breaking story, stay tuned for updates.