‘No one is above the law’

President Joe Biden’s campaign said “no one is above the law” just minutes after former President Donald Trump was convicted Thursday in a New York courtroom.

“Donald Trump always mistakenly believed that he would never face consequences if he broke the law for his own personal gain,” Biden campaign spokesman Michael Tyler said in a statement. “But today’s verdict does not change the fact that the American people are facing a simple reality.”

Biden is not expected to hold a separate press briefing to respond to the verdict, according to a person with knowledge of his plans. But he might end up answering a question about it in the future, when he’s already in front of reporters.

“We respect the rule of law and have no additional comment,” said Ian Sams, a spokesman for the White House Office of Counsel.

At the same time, the Biden The campaign emphasized the message it teased last week: that voters should be aware of the possibilities of another Trump term. That means, according to the campaign, getting supporters involved in Democratic campaigns and fundraising to stop Trump in November – and get them to stop expecting him to one way or another, because of the myriad of trials he faces.

“There is still only one way to stop Donald Trump from entering the Oval Office: through the ballot box. Convicted felon or not, Trump will be the Republican nominee for president,” Tyler said.

“The threat Trump poses to our democracy has never been greater. He is waging an increasingly lopsided campaign of vengeance and retaliation, pledging to be a dictator “from day one” and calling for the “repeal” of our Constitution so he can regain and retain power.” , he said. “A second Trump term means chaos, destroying Americans’ freedoms and fomenting political violence – and the American people will reject him in November.”

Last week, the Biden campaign announced plans to take a more aggressive approach toward Trump once the deal is concluded.

While the campaign was careful not to take a celebratory tone, other Democrats were much more open in their thoughts. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, whose state is hosting the Democratic convention this summer, did not hesitate to issue a message.

“Donald Trump is a racist, a homophobe, a crook and a threat to this country. He can now add one more title to his list: a criminal,” Pritzker wrote on X.

A social media fan account not associated with the Biden campaign posted a photo of Biden holding an ice cream cone and manipulated the photo so that he was holding a giant “L.”

Brandon Weathersby, a spokesman for the pro-Biden American Bridge PAC, said in a statement: “This trial exposed Trump’s corrupt deals with tabloids, exploitation of his staff and associates, and willingness to do whatever it takes to serve yourself above all else. The past six weeks have reminded voters that Donald Trump’s number one priority is still himself. At a time when we need stable, clear-headed leadership to stand up to adversaries like Russia and China, Trump reminded voters that he will always put himself above the needs of the country.”

NBC News was at Biden’s campaign headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware, just before the impending verdict was announced. It was, at least for the moment, a Thursday like any other, in the bustling two floors of an office in a downtown skyscraper, near Biden’s home. The campaign was preparing for an important month intended to turn the page on the end of Trump’s trial, which will conclude with the first of two face-to-face Biden-Trump debates.

A Democratic strategist familiar with the Biden campaign’s thinking said the re-election team took the long view when it came to Thursday’s guilty verdict. As important as this development is at the moment, the fact that Trump “is a criminal is not going to be a central message” in the long term, the strategist said.

Biden’s team will remain focused on its core issues about what matters to voters: threats to democracy and individual liberties, Biden’s economic accomplishments and prioritizing the middle class over the wealthy and corporations.

“Ultimately, the president must convince the American people that Trump’s chaos and anarchy are bad for their lives, not just Trump’s,” the strategist said.