Trump Calls Hush Money Trial 'Rigged' and 'a Disgrace' After Guilty Verdict on All Counts

May 30

(EEW Magazine News) Former President Donald Trump was found guilty on all counts in his historic and unprecedented criminal trial, making him the first former president of the United States to be convicted of a crime.

Speaking outside the courthouse on Thursday, just moments after learning of the verdict, Trump denounced the trial as "a disgrace."

"This was a disgrace," Trump told reporters. "This was a rigged trial by a conflicted judge who was corrupt. It’s a rigged trial, a disgrace."

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg charged Trump with 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. Trump pleaded not guilty to all counts. Each count carries a maximum prison sentence of four years, meaning Trump faces a maximum sentence of 136 years.

Referring to his failed petition to move the trial out of Manhattan, Trump said, "They wouldn't give us a venue change," adding, "We were at 5% or 6% in this district, in this area."

Last week, a panel of New York State appellate judges denied Trump’s appeal to move his criminal trial, which had been underway for six weeks, out of Manhattan to another New York county.

Trump also referenced the upcoming presidential election in November, calling it the "real verdict."

"The real verdict is going to be Nov. 5 by the people, and they know what happened here, and everybody knows what happened here," Trump said, referring to Election Day.

Sentencing for the former president is set for July 11 at 10:00 a.m., just four days before the start of the Republican National Convention. Trump is expected to be formally nominated as the 2024 Republican presidential nominee during the convention, which runs from July 15-18 in Milwaukee.

Prosecutors needed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Trump falsified business records to conceal a $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels, a pornographic performer, in the lead-up to the 2016 election to silence her about an alleged affair with Trump in 2006.

Trump continued to maintain his innocence, stating, "We didn't do a thing wrong. I'm a very innocent man, it's OK," he said. "I’m fighting for our country, I'm fighting for our constitution. Our whole country is being rigged right now."

Taking aim at his election rival, Trump added, "This was done by the Biden administration in order to wound, to hurt an opponent, a political opponent."

White House counsel's office spokesperson Ian Sams reacted with a brief statement on the Trump verdict, saying they "respect the rule of law" and "have no additional comment."

Addressing broader national issues, Trump said, "We don't have the same country anymore; we have a divided mess. We’re a nation in decline, serious decline. Millions and millions of people pouring into our country right now from prisons and from mental institutions, terrorists, and they're taking over our country."

Trump concluded his statement outside the courthouse by saying, "This is long from over, thank you very much."