Donald Trump’s conviction on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records set off a political storm in Washington on Thursday, with Republicans slamming the verdict as a miscarriage of justice and Democrats praising the New York jury for delivering a fair verdict in one of the most historic trials in American history.
Republicans predictably rallied around Trump, repeating baseless claims that the Biden administration was engaging in political persecution of the former U.S. president.
“Today is a shameful day in American history,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican, said. “This is purely a political act, not a legal one. The weaponization of the justice system has been a hallmark of the Biden Administration, and today’s decision is further evidence that Democrats will stop at nothing to silence dissent and crush their political opponents.”
Rep. Jim Jordan, the pugnacious right-wing Republican who chairs the House Judiciary Committee, similarly lamented the verdict as a “travesty of justice,” adding that “the Manhattan camouflage trial shows what happens when partisan prosecutors weaponize the justice system under unfair trial procedures presided over by biased judges.”
Some of Trump’s advisers and family members were more blunt in their assessment of the verdict. “It’s complete bullshit,” said Donald Trump Jr., the former president’s eldest son. I have written About X.
While many of Trump’s top aides expected the conviction to be overturned on appeal, simply to mobilize Republicans in the election, at least one lawmaker suggested the ruling would set a dangerous precedent.
“This verdict says more about the system than it does about the charges. It will be seen as politically motivated and unfair and will have a huge backlash on the political left,” said Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a close ally of Trump. “I worry that it has opened a Pandora’s box of the presidency itself.”
Democrats, meanwhile, reacted to the verdict with restraint, arguing that the jury’s decision reflected the strength of the U.S. judicial system.
“We saw today in New York that no one is above the law. Donald Trump has always mistakenly believed that he could break the law for his own personal gain and with impunity,” Biden campaign communications director Michael Tyler said.
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, the Democratic chairman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee, argued that the verdict confirms that Trump is “unfit to lead the greatest country in the world.”
“Only in an honest courtroom could a former president have lied or threatened his way out of a difficult situation,” Whitehouse said. “Americans have every reason to trust juries.”
Sen. Chris Coons, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, added, “I commend the jurors for their service and urge all Americans, regardless of party, to accept and respect the outcome of this trial.”
Hillary Clinton posted an image on Instagram of a mug with a cartoon outline of herself sipping from it and the phrase “In the end, she was right about everything.” The New Yorker magazine also debuted a cartoon on the cover of its next issue, showing Trump’s extremely small hands in handcuffs.
Preview of next week’s cover story, “A Man of Conviction” Follow. #New YorkerCover https://t.co/qU1FBeQKlv pic.twitter.com/m2l8CGnUKt
— The New Yorker (@NewYorker) May 30, 2024
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New York City Mayor Eric Adams said, Tweeted The NYPD is prepared to “respond to any situation, including large-scale protests.”
After dismissing the sentence as a “disgrace,” Trump quickly made his conviction a campaign issue, sending fundraising emails to supporters and calling himself a “political prisoner.”
“But with your help at this moment in history, we can take back the White House and make America great again! We must make Joe Biden regret coming after us!” the email read.
The Republican Senatorial Committee issued After the jury delivered its verdict, he denounced the trial as a “witch hunt” and made a fundraising pitch.
Biden himself declined to comment or respond to the ruling on Thursday. White House Counsel spokesman Ian Sams said in a statement: “We respect the rule of law and have no further comment.”
But Biden’s campaign has made clear that the president will continue to pursue his own legal challenge against Trump as the country looks ahead to November.
“Today’s verdict does not change the simple reality facing the American people,” Tyler said. “There remains only one way to keep Donald Trump from the Oval Office: the ballot box. With or without a conviction, Trump will be the Republican nominee for president.”
Official statement from Donald Trump: pic.twitter.com/tvEu7Z81VI
— Olivia Nuzzi (@Olivianuzzi) May 30, 2024
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Trump released a rambling statement Thursday night calling him a “totally innocent man” and saying the trial was “rigged.” He blamed the Biden administration and what he called a “Soros-backed” district attorney for the verdict, a reference to billionaire George Soros, a frequent target of right-wing conspiracy theories and outrage.
“This is a disgrace. This is a rigged trial with a corrupt judge who has a vested interest. This is a rigged trial, this is a disgrace,” Trump said. “This is a rigged trial, this is a disgrace.”
