After Donald Trump was found guilty on all 34 counts in the hush money trial, Republicans immediately rushed to his defense and seemed confident that the conviction would be overturned.
“Today is a shameful day in American history,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, said in a statement.
‘Democrats applauded when they convicted the leader of the opposing party on ridiculous charges, based on the testimony of a disbarred convicted felon. “This was a purely political exercise, not a legal one.”
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., placed an upside-down X flag and Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, called it a “travesty of justice.”
The upside-down flag has been at the center of a controversy with Justice Samuel Alito.
The jury of seven men and five women made its decision as the former president faced 34 counts of falsifying business records. His sentencing date is set for July 11.
It comes after five weeks of dramatic evidence and 22 witnesses questioned on the stand.
This is the first time that a former president of the United States faces a criminal trial.
“Today is one of the darkest days in the history of our country,” said Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas. “I don’t know if our country can ever recover from this administration’s abuse of President Donald Trump.”
“I have no doubt that this will be overturned on appeal. You have upset the bear and I will fight as hard as I can to get President Trump back into the White House.”
Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, Trump’s vice presidential hopeful, is rumored: ‘This verdict is an absolute miscarriage of justice. “While the outcome of this trial will undoubtedly be subject to appeal, it is an embarrassment to our judicial system that such measures are necessary.”
Trump’s team has vowed to appeal the conviction. He will now face the Manhattan Appellate Division, and possibly the Court of Appeals, and will remain free on bail while he appeals.
After Donald Trump was found guilty on all 34 counts in the hush money trial, Republicans immediately rushed to his defense and seemed confident that the conviction would be overturned.
And although the verdict was decided by a jury, Republicans attacked Judge Juan Merchán and District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
“This verdict is the corrupt result of a corrupt trial, a corrupt judge and a corrupt district attorney,” said Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla.
“Manhattan’s kangaroo court shows what happens when our justice system is armed by partisan prosecutors in front of a biased judge with an unfair process, designed to keep President Trump off the campaign trail and avoid drawing attention to failed policies. President Biden’s radicals,” said Jordan, chairman of the Judiciary Committee and a close Trump ally.
“Americans see past the Democrats’ legal warfare tactics and know that President Trump will be vindicated on appeal,” he continued.
‘WELCOME TO THE SOVIET UNION!!!!!’ said Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Texas. ‘This country will NEVER be the same! A TRULY SAD and PATHETIC day for America. This verdict is an ABSOLUTE DISASTER for ALL Americans!!’
The verdict could upend the race for the White House in 2024 and represent a pivotal moment in American history.
Each of the charges Trump faced carried a potential maximum sentence of up to four years in prison.
Jurors had the option of convicting Trump on all charges, acquitting him of all charges, or returning a mixed verdict in which he was found guilty of some charges and not others.
Falsifying business records would normally be a lower-level misdemeanor, but his charges were raised to the felony level because of a second offense: attempting to influence the 2016 election.
The judge could consider the unprecedented nature of the case and choose not to put a former president and current candidate behind bars.
“The verdict in New York is a complete travesty that makes a mockery of our justice system,” said Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., whose name has been mentioned as a possible Trump vice presidential candidate. “Biden and Trump’s deranged left will stop at nothing to stay in power.”
“Today’s verdict shows how corrupt, rigged and un-American the armed justice system has become under Joe Biden and the Democrats,” said Republican conference chairwoman Elise Stefanik, R.N.Y., whose name has also appeared in the short list for vice president.
“I fully support President Trump appealing this decision and hope that a higher court in New York will deliver justice and overturn this verdict. The facts are clear: this was a zombie case brought illegally by a corrupt prosecutor doing Joe Biden’s political bidding in a desperate attempt to save Joe Biden’s failing campaign. The case was based on the testimony of a convicted felon who was disbarred for lying and committed perjury when he lied to Congress,” he said, referring to Michael Cohen.
“Extremist Democrats have undermined democracy by weaponizing the courts to function as a banana republic that attacks their political opponents,” House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-Wrote in a statement. Louisiana.
Prosecutors spoke of a plot by Trump to “corrupt” the 2016 election by hiding a $130,000 payment from his “fixer” Michael Cohen to porn star Stormy Daniels.
Daniels alleged that she and Trump had sex a decade earlier, which he has denied.
The case featured explosive evidence from Daniels and exposed the “catch-and-kill” practices of the National Enquirer tabloid, which bought stories that could be damaging to Trump and suppressed them.
But the actual criminal charges concern refunds Trump signed for Cohen for the payment.
The refunds, paid by Trump in monthly installments, were recorded as legal expenses.
Prosecutors say it was a fraudulent label designed to conceal the purpose of the hush money transaction and unlawfully interfere in the 2016 election.
Defense attorneys argued that Cohen actually performed substantial legal work for Trump and his family and was paid for it.
In a marathon day of closing arguments Tuesday, prosecutors and defense attorneys had one last chance to score points with jurors as they embarked on their momentous task.
The two sides offered wildly different accounts of Trump’s guilt, the strength of the evidence and the credibility of the witnesses.