Being convicted of one crime – let alone 34 of them – is the kind of blow that would normally dent any politician’s ambitions.
Donald Trump will instead attempt to turn what could otherwise be a career-ending judgment into campaign fuel.
Trump will return to the campaign trail Friday with a news conference at his eponymous Manhattan tower, a day after he was convicted of attempting to illegally influence the 2016 election by paying hush money to a porn actor who claimed to have had sexual relations. His lawyers and allies have described him as rebellious and ready to fight a verdict they view as illegitimate and politically motivated.
No former president or presumptive party nominee has ever faced a felony conviction or the prospect of prison time, and Trump is expected to keep his legal troubles at the center of his campaign. He has long maintained, without evidence, that the four indictments against him were orchestrated by Democratic President Joe Biden to try to keep him out of the White House.
“No one is more provocative,” Trump spokesman Jason Miller said on Fox News hours after the verdict was read. “He’s ready to come out and start fighting again.”
Trump and his campaign had been preparing for days for a guilty verdict, even as they hoped for a hung jury. On Tuesday, Trump denounced that even Mother Teresa, the nun and saint, could not refute the accusations, which he repeatedly called “fake.”
His top aides issued a memo Wednesday insisting that a verdict would have no impact on the election, whether Trump is found guilty or acquitted.
The news nevertheless came as a surprise. Trump, his team and reporters at the courthouse had been under the impression that Thursday’s jury would finish the day’s deliberations at 4:30 p.m. Trump sat, smiling and chatting with his lawyers as the proceedings appeared to be coming to a close.
Trump had spent the hours before the verdict was announced sequestered in the private courtroom where he had spent breaks throughout the trial, huddled with his lawyers and campaign aides, eating a rotating menu of McDonald’s, pizzas and subs.
As the jury decided his fate, he spent his time making calls, sending missives on social media and chatting with friends, including developer Steve Witkoff, who joined him in court, and the governor of North Dakota, Doug Burgum, considered a vice president. presidential candidate.
In a sign that they expected deliberations to continue, Trump’s detention room was equipped with a television on Thursday, according to two people familiar with the location who, like others, spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the matter.
Instead, Merchan announced that a verdict had been reached. Thirty minutes later, Trump listened as the jury delivered a guilty verdict on each count. Trump remained speechless as the verdict was read.
His campaign sparked a wave of fundraising appeals and Republican Party allies rallied to his side. A text message describes him as a “political prisoner”, although he does not yet know whether he will be sentenced to prison. The campaign also began selling black “Make America Great Again” caps to reflect a “dark day in history.”
Aides reported an immediate rush of contributions so intense that WinRed, the platform the campaign used for fundraising, crashed.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said he did his job, which he described as “following the facts and the law without fear or favor.”
Trump campaign spokesman Brian Hughes cited the outpouring of votes as a sign “that Americans viewed this sham trial as political interference in the election that Biden and the Democrats always wanted.”
“November 5,” he said, echoing Trump, “is the day Americans will deliver the real verdict!”
Trump has long complained that the lawsuit limited his campaign appearances for several weeks. “I want to campaign,” he told reporters Thursday morning before a verdict was rendered.
It’s unclear, however, how much Trump’s schedule will intensify in the coming days. He held only a handful of public campaign events as the trial unfolded, despite having Wednesdays, as well as evenings and weekends, to do what he wanted. he wanted.
He is expected to have his first debate with Biden in the next two months, announce a vice presidential nominee and formally accept his party’s nomination at the Republican National Convention.
But before heading to Milwaukee for the RNC, Trump will have to return to court on July 11 for sentencing. He could face penalties ranging from a fine or probation to up to four years in prison.
NBC Chicago
