A Furious Trump Storms Out After Hush Money ‘Guilty’ Verdict, Calls It ‘Rigged, Disgraceful’

In an unprecedented and monumental decision on May 30, a Manhattan jury found Donald Trump guilty of all 34 counts of falsifying corporate records, making him the first former president in American history to be found guilty of a felony. After nearly two days of deliberation, the jury in the hush money case returned a unanimous conclusion beyond a reasonable doubt, a 'Guilty' verdict.

Not only is Trump the first former president to be convicted of a felony, but he is also the first presidential candidate from a major party to be found guilty of a crime while running for White House, per Associated Press. Furthermore, should he triumph over President Joe Biden in November, he will become the first-ever sitting president who has a criminal record.

Cheers could be heard in the corridor from the street below, but Trump sat there looking shocked by the ruling, per CNN. As he stormed out of the courtroom, an enraged Trump barked to reporters, “This was a rigged, disgraceful trial. The real verdict is going to be on November 5 by the people. They know what happened, and everyone knows what happened here.” Trump continued, blasting the judge and proclaiming his innocence, “We didn’t do anything wrong. I’m a very innocent man.”

Throughout the trial, Trump has insisted that he had done nothing wrong and that the case should never have been filed. He also collected fines for breaking a gag order by making divisive remarks about witnesses outside of court, while also protesting the proceedings from inside the courthouse with a procession of prominent Republican allies.

At a press conference held outside the courtroom, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who initiated the lawsuit, acknowledged the historic nature of the case and the conviction. The decision was made "in the same manner as every other case that comes through the courtroom doors," "by following the facts and the law and doing so without fear or favor," even though Trump is a defendant "unlike any other in American history."

Judge Juan Merchan scheduled Trump's sentencing for July 11, 2024, at 10 a.m., just days before the opening of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. The former president's lawyer, Todd Blanche, stated to CNN's Kaitlan Collins on The Source that they will "vigorously fight" Merchan's post-trial motions in the coming weeks. "If that is not successful," they would file an appeal after the sentence, Blanche stated. 

Biden's campaign, who until now had kept quiet on the hush money case, has finally also broken their silence on the issue, per Washington Post. “Donald Trump has always mistakenly believed he would never face consequences for breaking the law for his personal gain,” Michael Tyler, the campaign’s communications director, said in a statement. “But today’s verdict does not change the fact that the American people face a simple reality. There is still only one way to keep Donald Trump out of the Oval Office: at the ballot box. Convicted felon or not, Trump will be the Republican nominee for president.”