{"id":2985,"date":"2024-10-17T16:17:47","date_gmt":"2024-10-17T16:17:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nine9ja.com\/donald-trump-found-guilty-on-all-34-felony-counts-in-hush-money-trial-highlights\/"},"modified":"2024-10-17T16:17:47","modified_gmt":"2024-10-17T16:17:47","slug":"donald-trump-found-guilty-on-all-34-felony-counts-in-hush-money-trial-highlights","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nine9ja.com\/pa\/donald-trump-found-guilty-on-all-34-felony-counts-in-hush-money-trial-highlights\/","title":{"rendered":"Donald Trump found guilty on all 34 felony counts in hush money trial: Highlights"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Hillary Clinton pokes fun after Trump verdict<\/h2>\n
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Hillary Clinton, the 2016 Democratic nominee who lost to Trump, indirectly referred to the verdict tonight when she presented an award at a festival at the Kennedy Center in Washington. <\/p>\n

\u201cAnything going on today?\u201d she said with a slight smile to the audience, which applauded. \u201cWell, I have to tell you, there\u2019s nowhere I\u2019d rather be than right here.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Earlier today, she posted on Instagram about new merchandise she will sell, saying that \u201cthe design happened to be finalized today.\u201d<\/p>\n

The design showed an image of Clinton drinking from a mug alongside the words \u201cTurns out she was right about everything.\u201d The picture was emblazoned on a mug. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer: \u2018No one is above the law\u2019<\/h2>\n
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Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., reacted to the jury\u2019s verdict in a brief post to X.<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cNo one is above the law,\u201d he said. \u201cThe verdict speaks for itself.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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NBC\u2019s Tom Llamas speaks with former Michael Cohen attorney Lanny Davis, former Trump lawyer and criminal defense attorney Michael van der Veen, and former Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Adam Kaufmann about some of the challenges of legally defending former President Trump and how the trial played out.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Trump lawyer Todd Blanche: \u2018As soon as we can appeal, we will\u2019<\/h2>\n
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In a CNN interview, Trump attorney Todd Blanche said the jury looked past what his team thought were \u201cfatal flaws\u201d with Cohen\u2019s testimony. <\/p>\n

Blanche also said he does not accept that the trial venue was a fair place to try Trump. He also said the timing of the trial was unfair.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs soon as we can appeal, we will,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He expressed similar sentiments during a Fox News interview, saying he did not believe Trump received a fair trial.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been saying for over a year that we couldn\u2019t get a fair trial in Manhattan, we couldn\u2019t get a fair trial with the judge, and it played out exactly as we expected,\u201d Blanche said on Fox.<\/p>\n

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Asked on CNN why Trump did not take the stand, Blanche said, \u201cOf course he wanted to testify,\u201d but he emphasized that it was a difficult decision. <\/p>\n

\u201cHe wanted to get his story out,\u201d Blanche said. <\/p>\n

In the CNN interview, Blanche explained what it was like to work with Trump, saying the past several weeks were \u201ceverything\u201d he would \u201cexpect and want\u201d out of a client. <\/p>\n

Asked who was in charge of the defense strategy, him or Trump, Blanche said it was both of them. Asked whether his job was made more difficult by Trump\u2019s attacking the judge and the case, Blanche said he did not look at it that way, noting that Trump \u201chas to explain to the American people\u201d why the case was unjust. <\/p>\n

Blanche responded \u201cyes\u201d when he was asked whether he expects to continue representing Trump in other cases. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Trump arrives back at Trump Tower after fundraiser<\/h2>\n
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Trump arrived at Trump Tower at about 9:25 p.m. He waved to a crowd and then walked into the building.<\/p>\n

Trump attended a fundraiser earlier tonight, according to a source familiar with the matter.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Ivanka Trump posts old photo with her father alongside \u2018I love you\u2019 message<\/h2>\n
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Ivanka Trump, the former president\u2019s daughter, shared what appeared to be an old photograph that featured her as a young child posing with her father, whose arms are wrapped around her.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love you dad,\u201d she wrote in bold white text across the image on Instagram.<\/p>\n

Some of Trump\u2019s other children commented earlier on today\u2019s verdict. <\/p>\n

While Ivanka Trump was a White House adviser during her father\u2019s administration, she has adopted a lower profile since he left the White House, skipping his 2024 campaign launch<\/a> and saying she was stepping away from politics.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Michael Cohen: \u2018Donald needed to be held accountable\u2019<\/h2>\n
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In a wide-ranging interview after the verdict, key prosecution witness Michael Cohen recalled doing damage control when the Stormy Daniels story broke.<\/p>\n

He told MSNBC that the trial ultimately demonstrated that other witnesses and evidence corroborated what he had said for years. He said this case was important and relevant, adding that \u201cDonald needed to be held accountable\u201d just as he himself was held accountable.<\/p>\n

Cohen said that during prep sessions, he was coached not to \u201cquibble\u201d over questions but to \u201cown it\u201d if he did something.<\/p>\n

Asked about testimony in which he described talking with Trump during a short phone call, Cohen said he never changed his testimony. Asked about Daniels, Cohen said that she was \u201cunflappable\u201d and that she was \u201cmuch smarter than they are,\u201d referring to the defense team.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Sen. Dick Durbin says verdict is a reminder that Trump is \u2018unfit for public service\u2019 <\/h2>\n
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Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., who chairs the Judiciary Committee, said in a statement <\/a>tonight that Trump\u2019s guilty verdict underscored that he is \u201cunfit for public service.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAs I\u2019ve said all along: no one is above the law\u2014not even a former president.\u00a0Consistent with the rule of law, a jury of his peers found the former president guilty on all counts,\u201d Durbin said. <\/p>\n

\u201cToday\u2019s verdict is another reminder that Donald Trump is unfit for public service.\u00a0Now, it is up to the American people to decide if he is worthy of the seat behind the Resolute desk in the Oval Office,\u201d he continued. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Trump\u2019s potential running mates pile on judge and jury after guilty verdict<\/h2>\n
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Twelve jurors took more than nine hours\u00a0to convict Trump\u00a0on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.<\/p>\n

A handful\u00a0<\/strong>of\u00a0Trump\u2019s prospective running mates\u00a0took less than nine minutes to condemn the verdict.<\/p>\n

The string of \u201cguilty\u201d readings\u00a0began at 5:06 p.m. today in Judge Juan Merchan\u2019s New York courtroom. By 5:12,\u00a0South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem\u00a0was rushing to Trump\u2019s defense online.<\/p>\n

Read the full story here.<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Georgia voter asks: \u2018Why would you allow someone who\u2019s done these things to run for office?\u2019<\/h2>\n
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A 25-year-old Gwinnett County resident who said he backed Biden in 2020 but has no plans to support Biden or Trump in November, said today\u2019s verdict didn\u2019t affect his opinion that Trump will win in November.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t see him losing regardless of the verdict,\u201d said Noah F., who declined to provide his last name. \u201cI think he will win.\u201d<\/p>\n

But he also questioned why Trump is allowed to run<\/a> after having been convicted.<\/p>\n

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\u201cFrom what I\u2019ve heard of what he\u2019s done, why are you running for office? Better question, why would you allow someone who\u2019s done these things to run for office?\u201d<\/p>\n

No part of the Constitution says people who have been convicted of crimes can\u2019t run for president.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Mitch McConnell weighs in hours after verdict<\/h2>\n
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Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., weighed in on today\u2019s verdict hours after many of his Republican colleagues had already commented, posting on X<\/a> that he expected the conviction to be overturned.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese charges never should have been brought in the first place. I expect the conviction to be overturned on appeal,\u201d McConnell said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Guilty but unashamed, Trump says he will see Biden in November<\/h2>\n
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Trump is guilty but not ashamed. The question now is whether he will suffer politically for his crimes.<\/p>\n

The first former American president convicted at trial \u2014 found guilty today on all 34 counts of scheming to help his 2016 campaign by covering up an alleged sexual encounter \u2014 Trump rallied quickly to raise money and votes from the verdict.<\/p>\n

He blasted out a fundraising message to donors just minutes after the jury finished its work, and he vowed in the courthouse that \u201cthe real verdict is going to be Nov. 5 by the people\u201d when he faces President Joe Biden in a rematch of their 2020 election.<\/p>\n

Read the full story here.<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Former House Speaker Pelosi calls today \u2018somber\u2019<\/h2>\n
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Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said o<\/a>n X<\/a>, \u201cThis moment is a somber one for America.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTrial by a jury of peers is a fundamental principle of democracy, which must be respected,\u201d she continued.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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MoveOn sells more than 25K \u2018felon\u2019 stickers <\/h2>\n
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The progressive organization MoveOn has sold more than 25,000 stickers labeling Trump as a \u201cfelon\u201d in the hours after the verdict was announced.<\/p>\n

The sticker features an image of Trump with the word \u201cfelon\u201d emblazoned across his eyes. \u201cNo one is above the law\u201d is written over his mouth. <\/p>\n

More than 10,000 stickers<\/a> were ordered in under 10 minutes, spokesperson Britt Jacovich said. She said the stickers were sold individually, not in bulk.<\/p>\n

Under New York state law, Trump will not be considered a felon until his sentencing, scheduled for July 11.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Pennsylvania voter \u2018very happy\u2019 with jury decision to \u2018confront somebody so large\u2019 <\/h2>\n
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A Pennsylvanian who voted for Biden in 2020 told NBC News she was very excited by the jury\u2019s decision to find Trump guilty on all 34 counts.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI was just very excited to see that people are still willing to, you know, vote for democracy and be willing to confront somebody so large and in charge, quote unquote,\u201d said Alli Gottschling, of Erie County.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Gottschling said she believes the jury\u2019s decision will affect how some vote in November.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are still people so stuck in their belief in him that anything that happens with him, it\u2019ll just be swept under the rug and he\u2019ll continue to power through, sadly,\u201d Gottschling said. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Arizona voters react to Trump\u2019s \u2018witch hunt\u2019 rhetoric: \u2018He\u2019s the sorcerer\u2019<\/h2>\n
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Two undecided Arizona voters criticized Trump in reacting to the verdict.<\/p>\n

Jamyiah Reed, 21, pushed back against Trump\u2019s frequent claims that the trial was a \u201cwitch hunt.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA witch hunt? He\u2019s the sorcerer,\u201d Reed said, adding that Trump is \u201cthe witch.\u201d<\/p>\n

Asked for reaction to the verdict, Reed said Trump \u201cis a clown,\u201d asking, \u201cWhat do you expect from a clown?\u201d<\/p>\n

Saqueya Hendricks, 21, said that the trial seemed \u201cfair\u201d and that the verdict is \u201cnot that shocking.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Country star Jason Aldean posts message of support for Trump<\/h2>\n
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RFK Jr. accuses Democrats of trying to \u2018beat Trump in the courtroom rather than the ballot box\u2019<\/h2>\n
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Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. took aim at Democrats following the verdict, blaming them for Trump\u2019s courtroom woes in a statement on X<\/a>. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe Democratic Party\u2019s strategy is to beat President Trump in the courtroom rather than the ballot box. This will backfire in November. Even worse, it is profoundly undemocratic,\u201d Kennedy wrote. \u201cAmerica deserves a President who can win at the ballot box without compromising our government\u2019s separation of powers or weaponizing the courts.\u201d <\/p>\n

Kennedy, who was competing in the Democratic primaries against President Joe Biden before he launched his independent bid, also contrasted his presidential campaign with the actions he attributed to Democrats, saying he preferred to challenge Trump \u201con his record,\u201d including Covid-related lockdowns, the economy, the environment and foreign policy. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Bragg doesn\u2019t address possible prison sentence at news conference <\/h2>\n
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Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg did not address a hypothetical about possible jail time after Trump was convicted.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m going to let our words in court speak for themselves when we get to the sentencing matter. I\u2019m not going to address hypotheticals,\u201d Bragg said at a news conference.<\/p>\n

Bragg had been asked whether he would object to a stay if Trump sought one following a potential prison sentence.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThey raise arguments; we\u2019ll respond,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I think your question really underscores an important point: This is an active ongoing matter,\u201d Bragg said. \u201cWe have other phases of this going ahead. We will continue to do our speaking about this matter, about issues like that in court.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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GOP Michigan Senate candidate Justin Amash criticizes verdict<\/h2>\n
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Former Rep. Justin Amash, a former Republican who became an independent during Trump\u2019s term in office, criticized the verdict in a post to X<\/a>, calling it \u201can affront to the Rule of Law.\u201d Amash is running for the Senate in the GOP primary in Michigan. <\/p>\n

\u201cThis selective and abusive prosecution will further undermine confidence in our Constitution and divide America,\u201d he said. \u201cIt must not stand.\u201d<\/p>\n

Amash has criticized Trump, and <\/a>he <\/a>voted<\/a> to impeach him in 2019.<\/p>\n


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\u2018I think they\u2019re stretching the law,\u2019 Arizona man says after verdict <\/h2>\n
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Reporting from Phoenix, Arizona<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Robbie Mayer of Phoenix said that he thinks Trump probably did what he was found guilty of but that the criminal case was \u201cpolitically motivated.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think he\u2019s probably guilty of having done that, but I don\u2019t think it was something that is a necessarily indictable offense,\u201d said Mayer, who said he was a retired prosecutor and police officer.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think they\u2019re stretching the law,\u201d and \u201cthis is a federal law that he\u2019s been convicted on by a state prosecutor,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

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Mayer, 75, said he voted for Trump in 2016 and 2020 but plans to vote for neither him nor Biden this year.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m surprised by it,\u201d he said. \u201cI thought it would be a hung jury, or I thought it would take longer to come to a verdict.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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New York Gov. Kathy Hochul reacts to verdict<\/h2>\n
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Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement that the verdict \u201creaffirms that no one is above the law.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIn preparation\u00a0for a verdict in this trial, I directed my Administration to closely coordinate with local and federal law enforcement and we continue to monitor the situation,\u201d she said in the statement. \u201cWe are committed to protecting the safety of all New Yorkers and the integrity of our judicial system.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Senate Minority Whip John Thune says hush money case was \u2018politically motivated\u2019 from the start<\/h2>\n
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Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., who is vying to succeed<\/a> Mitch McConnell as Senate Republican leader, echoed Republican colleagues\u2019 claims that the hush money case was driven by politics.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis case was politically motivated from the beginning, and\u00a0today\u2019s verdict does nothing to absolve the\u00a0partisan nature of this prosecution,\u201d Thune said on X<\/a>. \u201cRegardless of outcome, more and more Americans are realizing that we cannot survive four more years of Joe Biden.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Michael Cohen doesn\u2019t respond to questions about the verdict as he leaves apartment complex<\/h2>\n
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Departing his apartment complex, Michael Cohen did not respond to NBC News\u2019 question about whether he had a reaction to the verdict.<\/p>\n

Cohen was a key witness for prosecution. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Bragg says the \u2018only voice that matters\u2019 is the jury\u2019s<\/h2>\n
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Bragg said the \u201conly voice that matters\u201d is the \u201cvoice of the jury.\u201d<\/p>\n

He continued to reiterate \u201cenormous gratitude\u201d for the justice system and the jury. <\/p>\n

Bragg said that \u201cI did my job\u201d and that there is now a federal court ruling on the legal theories of the case but that \u201cmost importantly\u201d the jurors have spoken. <\/p>\n

His remarks have concluded.<\/p>\n


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Trump\u2019s neighborhood partly locked down <\/h2>\n
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Trump returned to his Manhattan high-rise with New York police shutting down traffic outside Trump Tower.<\/p>\n

East 56th Street, between Madison and Fifth avenues, was closed after Trump returned to his occasional home. <\/p>\n

About 75 people crowding the western corners of 56th Street and Fifth Avenue showered him with a mix of cheers and boos. <\/p>\n

Trump walked to the northeast corner of 56th and Fifth, giving multiple waves and thumbs-ups behind metal barricades and in front of a Gucci advertisement. As he entered Trump Tower, his supporters and critics continued to yell at one another.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Trump announces news conference for tomorrow<\/h2>\n
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Trump, who shortly after today\u2019s verdict said his legal battle was \u201cfar from over,\u201d announced plans to hold a news conference tomorrow in a post on Truth Social<\/a>. <\/p>\n

The news conference will be at 11 a.m. in the atrium of Trump Tower, the post said. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\u2018If I\u2019d done it, I would be in jail,\u2019 Atlanta man says of verdict <\/h2>\n
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\u201cIf I\u2019d done it, I would be in jail,\u201d was DeMon DeLoatch\u2019s reaction to the historic guilty verdict.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo if he\u2019s done the crime, do the time,\u201d DeLoatch, 44, a Democrat, said when he was asked his reaction about the verdict in Atlanta, where he lives.<\/p>\n

David Ederer, an engineer who moved to Atlanta from Buffalo, New York, about nine months ago, also said the guilty verdict was justified.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it just goes to show that our systems of law and government have proven that they apply to everyone and not just people that can\u2019t afford a lawyer,\u201d said Ederer, 63, who said he is not involved in politics.<\/p>\n

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\u201cHe had all the money in the world to defend himself, and he was still found guilty from his peers \u2014 and that\u2019s the way it should be,\u201d Ederer said.<\/p>\n

Ederer, who said he followed the trial, also was not buying claims that the proceedings were \u201crigged\u201d or unfair.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen anything doesn\u2019t go his way, he just says it\u2019s, you know, it\u2019s false, it\u2019s rigged against him. It wasn\u2019t rigged against him,\u201d Ederer said. \u201cI mean, if anything, he got a very fair trial from that judge.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s been allowed to say so much about so many different topics that were just awful. And anybody else would have been in jail,\u201d Ederer said, referring to a gag order that Trump violated in the case<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg addresses reporters, thanks jury<\/h2>\n
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Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who brought the charges against Trump, addressed reporters, thanked the jury for its service and said it performed a \u201cfundamental\u201d civic duty.<\/p>\n

Twelve New Yorkers heard witness testimony and reviewed evidence, he said, adding that white-collar prosecution is core to work at the DA\u2019s office. <\/p>\n

He thanked the prosecutors, saying they are \u201cembodying the finest traditions of this office.\u201d He said that they are \u201cmodel public servants\u201d and that he is proud to serve alongside them. Bragg also expressed \u201cdeep gratitude\u201d to the New York Police Department and court administrators for securing their safety. <\/p>\n

He said they arrived at the trial \u201cin the same manner as every other case\u201d that comes to the courtroom. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Bars debut beer specials honoring Trump verdict<\/h2>\n
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Bars in Washington, D.C., have started debuting specials related to today\u2019s verdict. <\/p>\n

The Midlands<\/a>, a beer garden, said it would offer discounts on some of its beers.<\/p>\n

\u201cTrump has been found guilty! We will be celebrating with 34 ounces of Justice,\u201d it wrote on Instagram.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Venture capitalist David Sacks criticizes \u2018sham trial\u2019<\/h2>\n
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David Sacks, the venture capitalist who will help host a\u00a0fundraiser for Trump in San Francisco on June 6<\/a>, suggested the case was brought forward to harm Trump\u2019s chances in November.<\/p>\n

\u201cA sham trial designed for one purpose: to brand Donald Trump as a \u2018felon.\u2019 Watch Dems and the MSM endlessly repeat that word,\u201d he wrote on X<\/a>, adding in an additional post, \u201cThere is now only one issue in this election: whether the American people will stand for the USA becoming a Banana Republic.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter Biden\u2019s disastrous presidency, Trump has a lot of supporters in Silicon Valley; many are just afraid to admit it. But with each act of courage, like this one, the dam begins to break,\u201d he added, quote tweeting Sequoia Capital partner Shaun Maguire\u2019s post saying he had donated $300,000 to Trump.<\/p>\n

Sacks backed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis\u2019 presidential bid earlier this cycle and participated in his campaign launch on X<\/a>.<\/p>\n


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E. Jean Carroll, who won judgments against Trump, posts \u2018Justice!!\u2019 <\/h2>\n
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Writer E. Jean Carroll, who accused Trump of sexual assault and won almost $90 million<\/a> in civil judgments against him, had a short response on social media to the historic guilty verdict.<\/p>\n

\u201cJustice!!\u201d she posted on X, along with a photo of Stormy Daniels.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Sen. Tim Scott, potential Trump running mate pick, says he \u2018can\u2019t believe the hoax\u2019<\/h2>\n
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Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., widely viewed as a leading contender to be Trump\u2019s running mate<\/a>, called the verdict a \u201choax,\u201d a \u201csham\u201d and an \u201cabsolute injustice,\u201d adding that Merchan and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg \u201cshould be ashamed of themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis isn\u2019t just ridiculous. This actually erodes the confidence that Americans have in the justice system,\u201d Scott said in a video<\/a> posted to X<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Scott teased that \u201cgood news is coming,\u201d saying, \u201cJoe Biden, you\u2019re fired. We the people stand with Donald Trump.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has yet to comment<\/h2>\n
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Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has not yet commented on today\u2019s verdict.<\/p>\n

McConnell and Trump have long had a contentious relationship<\/a>, though McConnell did endorse<\/a> Trump in March.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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House majority leader and whip say voters will deliver their own verdict on Election Day<\/h2>\n
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House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., called today\u2019s verdict \u201ca defeat for Americans who believe in the critical legal tenet that justice is blind\u201d and heaped criticism on President Joe Biden, who he said \u201cteamed up\u201d with District Attorney Alvin Bragg to harm a political opponent.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is nothing more than an attempt to interfere with the 2024 election,\u201d Scalise said in a statement<\/a>, adding voters would ultimately \u201csettle this\u201d on Election Day. <\/p>\n

House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., offered a similar assessment, writi<\/a>n<\/a>g on<\/a> X<\/a> alongside a link to a Trump fundraising page that Americans would \u201crelease their own verdict this November\u201d and imploring them to \u201cunite behind\u201d Trump.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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RNC holds post-verdict call with state GOP chairs<\/h2>\n
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Republican National Committee political director James Blair had a call with all 50 GOP state chairs today after the verdict,\u00a0according to two sources who were on the call.<\/p>\n

The sources said Blair basically gave them their marching orders as far as post-verdict talking points and messaging: This is unjust, this will be good for us, we will win.<\/p>\n

\u201cJames Blair just did a call with every state chairman,\u201d one of the sources said. \u201cThere is a clear message [the RNC] wants us to convey: It is an unjust witch hunt. We will appeal, and we will win the appeal. Guys, we just elected the next president of the United States.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Mary Trump calls verdict a \u2018death knell\u2019 for uncle\u2019s political career<\/h2>\n
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The former president\u2019s niece Mary Trump <\/a>claimed the Manhattan guilty verdicts stunned her uncle and could be a \u201cdeath knell\u201d for his political career.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe never saw this coming. He never in a billion years thought this would happen,\u201d Mary Trump<\/a> said on her podcast<\/a> on YouTube<\/a>. \u201cI think this is a death knell. I\u2019m not guaranteeing it, of course, but I think that\u2019s a reasonable hope at this point.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trump\u2019s niece, a longtime critic of her uncle<\/a>, also said the MAGA movement suffered a significant blow.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce Donald is displaced, MAGA\u2019s over,\u201d she said. \u201cI used to think that Trumpism would survive without Trump. I\u2019m not so sure anymore. One, there\u2019s nobody to replace him and two, he\u2019s just causing way too much damage to his image.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Next week\u2019s New Yorker cover is a drawing of Trump in handcuffs<\/h2>\n
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The drawing on the cover of next week\u2019s issue of The New Yorker, titled \u201cA Man of Conviction\u201d and created by the artist John Cuneo, shows the former president being handcuffed while wearing his trademark red tie.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Trump\u2019s GOP primary rivals warned potential convictions could turn off voters<\/h2>\n
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While Republican officeholders are rushing to defend Trump after his conviction, his primary rivals in 2023 and early 2024 warned about the possibility this would happen in the middle of the general election.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf Donald Trump is the nominee, the election will revolve around all these legal issues, his trials, perhaps convictions if he goes to trials and loses there and about things like Jan. 6,\u201d Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said at a Jan. 16 CNN town hall<\/a>. \u201cWe\u2019re going to lose if voters are making a decision based on that. We don\u2019t want it to be a referendum on those issues.\u201d<\/p>\n

DeSantis defended Trump <\/a>on X<\/a> after the verdict and attacked the prosecution and the court as \u201ccaptive\u201d to a \u201cpolitical agenda.\u201d<\/p>\n

In February, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley told NBC News<\/a> there \u201cis no way that the American people are going to vote for a convicted criminal.\u201d <\/p>\n

\n

Haley said last week that she was planning to vote for Trump<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie also said <\/a>last year<\/a> that \u201cwe simply cannot expect that someone who is facing this number of criminal trials, and, quite frankly, the conduct that underlies those charges, can be a viable fall election candidate against Joe Biden.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Trump motorcade got stuck in traffic on FDR Drive <\/h2>\n
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Trump\u2019s motorcade was seen stuck in traffic on the FDR Drive after it left court in Manhattan following the historic guilty verdicts.<\/p>\n

Helicopter video from NBC New York showed the vehicles stuck in traffic, which will not be a surprise to drivers in the Big Apple.<\/p>\n

The motorcade later arrived at Trump Tower.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Trump arrives at Trump Tower, waves to the crowd<\/h2>\n
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Trump is back at his namesake skyscraper in midtown Manhattan. He just waved to the crowd and raised his fist in the air. <\/p>\n

The crowd appeared to be made up of a mix of supporters and detractors, including some people who were shouting \u201cguilty!\u201d and booing him.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Sen. John Cornyn calls Trump verdict \u2018a disgrace\u2019<\/h2>\n
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Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, who is running to succeed Sen. Mitch McConnell as the Senate Republican leader, condemned today\u2019s verdict in a statement on X.<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cThis verdict is a disgrace, and this trial should have never happened,\u201d Cornyn said before he called on Republicans to \u201crally around\u201d Trump to reclaim the White House and the Senate.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe real verdict will be Election Day,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Top Trump official slams GOP Senate candidate Larry Hogan\u2019s call for \u2018respect\u2019 after verdict<\/h2>\n
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Chris LaCivita, a top official on Trump\u2019s campaign, said former GOP Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan\u2019s campaign for the Senate is \u201cended\u201d after Hogan called for Americans \u201cto respect the verdict and the legal process.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou just ended your campaign,\u201d LaCivita said on X<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Hogan, the Republican candidate for the Senate in Maryland, was seen as a strong recruit for the seat, having previously held statewide office. But he has feuded with Trump in recent years and has not associated with his MAGA movement.<\/p>\n

After Trump was found guilty on all 34 counts in New York, Hogan said on X<\/a>: \u201cRegardless of the result, I urge all Americans to respect the verdict and the legal process. At this dangerously divided moment in our history, all leaders\u2014regardless of party\u2014must not pour fuel on the fire with more toxic partisanship. We must reaffirm what has made this nation great: the rule of law.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Eric Trump suggests verdict will lead to Trump\u2019s victory in presidential election<\/h2>\n
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Eric Trump, the former president\u2019s second-eldest son, posted this on X<\/a> just before 6 p.m.: \u201cMay 30th, 2024 might be remembered as the day Donald J. Trump won the 2024 Presidential Election.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Katy Perry reacts to firework of a verdict<\/h2>\n
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Singer Katy Perry weighed in on X<\/a> after the verdict, posting \u201cLFG,\u201d an abbreviation for \u201clet\u2019s f\u2014ing go.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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GOP former Gov. Asa Hutchinson says \u2018verdict should be respected\u2019<\/h2>\n
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Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who ran for the Republican presidential nomination this cycle, said in a post on X said the jury\u2019s verdict should be respected. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt is not easy to see a former President and the presumptive GOP nominee convicted of felony crimes; but the jury verdict should be respected. An appeal is in order but let\u2019s not diminish the significance of this verdict,\u201d he wrote<\/a>. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Trump supporters mostly quiet at the moment<\/h2>\n
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The crowd of pro-Trump demonstrators across the street from the courthouse appeared relatively muted as news of the guilty verdict spread. The scene was in contrast with the atmosphere just a few days ago, when a visit from anti-Trump actor Robert De Niro<\/a> helped fuel angry confrontations between demonstrators on both sides of the political divide.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Sens. Marco Rubio and Lindsey Graham slam verdict<\/h2>\n
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Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., a potential vice presidential running mate pick for Trump, called today\u2019s verdict \u201ca complete travesty that makes a mockery of our system of justice\u201d in a statement on X<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Rubio also took aim at Judge Juan Merchan, calling him \u201can openly pro-Biden judge,\u201d and he disputed the jury instruction, which he said \u201cguaranteed guilty verdicts.\u201d <\/p>\n

Much of Rubio\u2019s sentiment was echoed by Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who called the verdict \u201ca mockery of justice\u201d<\/a> and said he expected it to be reversed<\/a> <\/a>on appeal.<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cThis verdict says more about the system than the allegations. It will be seen as politically motivated and unfair, and it will backfire tremendously on the political Left,\u201d Graham <\/a>said. \u201cI fear we have opened up Pandora\u2019s box on the presidency itself.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Arizona Trump voter on Trump: \u2018I don\u2019t see him as that much of a criminal\u2019<\/h2>\n
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Barbara Bennett, a retired nurse assistant from Phoenix who said she voted for Trump in 2016 and 2020 and plans to vote for him again in November, said that after today\u2019s verdict, \u201cI don\u2019t see him as that much of a criminal.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat he did was, it might have been a crime, but I don\u2019t think it was that much of a crime,\u201d said Bennett, 83.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Trump\u2019s fundraising site appears to have crashed<\/h2>\n
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Trump\u2019s online fundraising page appears to have crashed and is displaying an error message. <\/p>\n

On<\/a>line fundraising<\/a> for Trump<\/a> <\/a>has spiked around his major days in his legal cases, so today\u2019s verdict could be a financial boon for his campaign. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Trump\u2019s website features mug shot from Georgia case<\/h2>\n
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Trump\u2019s website has been updated to reflect the guilty verdict, reiterating his claims that he is a \u201cpolitical prisoner\u201d and featuring the mug shot taken when he turned himself in to Georgia authorities in a separate case<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cNever surrender\u201d is written in bold under the photo. <\/p>\n

The site also features the same fundraising message that was promoted on social media after the verdict.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy end-of-month fundraising deadline is just DAYS AWAY!\u201d the website also says.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Analysis: Verdict is a \u2018resounding victory\u2019 for prosecution<\/h2>\n
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The guilty verdict is a resounding victory<\/a> for prosecutors in a case they pitched as something far greater than about hush money.<\/p>\n

They tried to cast the case as being about the subversion of democracy, and today, the jury agreed with them.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Trump\u2019s motorcade departs<\/h2>\n
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Trump\u2019s motorcade is leaving the courthouse roughly an hour after the verdict was delivered.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Democratic lawmakers\u2019 reactions pour in <\/h2>\n
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A slew of Democratic lawmakers are weighing in with reaction to the verdict.<\/p>\n

Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., said on X that \u201cthe jury has spoken,\u201d adding, \u201cJustice has prevailed.\u201d Clyburn is often credited with delivering Biden\u2019s 2020 campaign a vital boost during the primary season. <\/p>\n

Progressive Reps. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., and Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., both said on X that \u201cno one\u201d is \u201cabove the law.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., also touted the decision on X.<\/p>\n

\u201cDespite his efforts to distract, delay, and deny \u2014 justice arrived for Donald Trump all the same,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd the rule of law prevailed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., wrote on X, \u201cJustice has prevailed!\u201d <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Biden campaign on Trump verdict: \u2018No one is above the law\u2019 <\/h2>\n
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President\u00a0Joe Biden<\/a>\u2019s campaign declared \u201cno one is above the law\u201d in a statement released just minutes after former President\u00a0Donald Trump<\/a>\u00a0was convicted in a New York courtroom.<\/p>\n

\u201cDonald Trump has always mistakenly believed he would never face consequences for breaking the law for his own personal gain,\u201d Biden campaign spokesman Michael Tyler said in a statement. \u201cBut today\u2019s verdict does not change the fact that the American people face a simple reality.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

At the same time as it reacted to the verdict in New York, the Biden\u00a0<\/strong>campaign underscored messaging\u00a0it teased last week<\/a>:\u00a0<\/strong>that voters should wake up to the possibilities\u00a0<\/strong>of another Trump term. That means, the campaign says, getting supporters\u00a0<\/strong>involved in Democratic campaigns and fundraisers to stop Trump in November \u2014 and getting them to\u00a0<\/strong>stop expecting that Trump will\u00a0<\/strong>somehow go away because of the myriad trials he faces.<\/p>\n

Read the full story here<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\u2018Phony\u2019 checks and hush money payments: Breaking down all 34 charges against Trump<\/h2>\n
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Jurors are deliberating for the second day in former President Donald Trump\u2019s hush money trial. <\/p>\n

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg charged Trump in April 2023 with 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. According to the indictment, 11 checks were issued from the Trump Revocable Trust and his personal bank account \u201cfor a phony purpose.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read the full story here.<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Donald Trump Jr. reacts to guilty verdict of his father<\/h2>\n
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Donald Trump Jr., the former president\u2019s eldest son, issued a series of posts on X, calling the jury\u2019s verdict \u201csuch bulls\u2014\u201d and election interference.<\/p>\n

\u201cGuilty on all counts. The Democrats have succeeded in their years long attempt to turn America into a third-world s\u2014hole. November 5 is our last chance to save it,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n

\u201cSentencing is 4 days before the GOP Convention\u2026They\u2019re not even trying to hide the ELECTION INTERFERENCE!!!!\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Earlier: Trump supporters and protesters shout at each other outside court<\/h2>\n
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Inside the pro-Trump area of the park, Trump supporters loudly argued earlier this afternoon with at least two people holding anti-Trump signs (\u201cTrump Is a Danger to Us All\u201d). Police officers were in the crowd.<\/p>\n

\"Protestors<\/picture>
Anti-Trump protestors outside of Manhattan criminal court on Thursday.<\/span>Daniel Arkin \/ NBC News<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Looking back at Trump\u2019s 6 weeks in court at the first criminal trial of a former president <\/h2>\n
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+2<\/p>\n

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Elise Wrabetz<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Chelsea Stahl<\/span>Chelsea Stahl is the art director for NBC News Digital<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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For nearly every day of Donald Trump\u2019s Manhattan hush money trial, photographers have captured a grimacing Trump seated at the defense table, a former U.S. president for the first time facing criminal charges in an American courtroom.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The judge, jurors and witnesses are not allowed to be photographed, but for most of the proceedings, pool photographers have been brought into the courtroom to photograph Trump as the day in court gets underway. They have captured his handwritten notes, such as when Trump, as closing arguments got underway, scrawled in black marker on a yellow sticky note affixed to a list of quotes about the trial, \u201cThis case should be dismissed by the judge.\u201d<\/p>\n

From the trial\u2019s start through Wednesday, Getty Images tagged nearly 13,000 images with \u201cDonald Trump New York.\u201d Here<\/a> are 62 of the most representative photos.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Donald Trump was convicted on felony charges. Will he go to prison? <\/h2>\n
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A New York jury\u2019s historic conviction of\u00a0Donald Trump<\/a>\u00a0on felony charges means his fate is now in the hands of the judge he\u2019s repeatedly ripped as \u201ccorrupt\u201d and \u201cincompetent.\u201d<\/p>\n

Two experts told NBC News that it\u2019s unlikely Trump will be imprisoned based on his age, lack of a criminal record and other factors \u2014 and\u00a0an analysis of thousands of cases<\/a>\u00a0found that very few people charged with the same crime receive jail time. But a third expert told NBC News he believes it is \u201csubstantially\u201d likely Trump could end up behind bars.<\/p>\n

Trump was convicted on 34 counts of\u00a0falsifying business records<\/a>, a class E felony that is punishable by a fine, probation or up to four years in prison. During the trial, Judge Juan Merchan threatened to put Trump\u00a0behind bars<\/a>\u00a0for violating his gag order, but it\u2019s unclear if the former president will face similar consequences now.<\/p>\n

Read the full story here.<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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NY Attorney General Letitia James reacts to verdict<\/h2>\n
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New York Attorney General Letitia James reacted to the verdict on X<\/a> with a single sentence: \u201cNo one is above the law.\u201d<\/p>\n

James led the prosecution<\/a> in Trump\u2019s New York civil fraud case earlier this year which resulted in him being found liable for hundreds of millions of dollars. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Michael Cohen appearing on MSNBC tonight<\/h2>\n
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Michael Cohen, Trump\u2019s ex-personal attorney and a key witness in the trial, will appear on MSNBC at 8 p.m. tonight.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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District Attorney Alvin Bragg issues brief statement on verdict<\/h2>\n
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Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg issued a brief statement after the verdict was read.<\/p>\n

\u201cToday, a jury found Donald J. Trump GUILTY on ALL 34 felony counts,\u201d Bragg said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Biden campaign spokesman says the \u2018ballot box\u2019 remains only way to keep Trump out of office<\/h2>\n
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In a statement, the Biden campaign\u2019s communications director, Michael Tyler, said the verdict illustrated that \u201cno one is above the law\u201d and urged opponents of the former president to vote in November\u2019s election.<\/p>\n

\u201cDonald Trump has always mistakenly believed he would never face consequences for breaking the law for his own personal gain. But today\u2019s verdict does not change the fact that the American people face a simple reality,\u201d Tyler said. \u201cThere 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe threat Trump poses to our democracy has never been greater. He is running an increasingly unhinged campaign of revenge and retribution, pledging to be a dictator \u2018on day one\u2019 and calling for our Constitution to be \u2018terminated\u2019 so he can regain and keep power,\u201d Tyler added. \u201cA second Trump term means chaos, ripping away Americans\u2019 freedoms and fomenting political violence \u2014 and the American people will reject it this November.\u201d<\/p>\n


<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker slams Trump after verdict<\/h2>\n
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Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker posted a fiery statement to X slamming Trump after the verdict was read.<\/p>\n

\u201cDonald Trump is a racist, a homophobe, a grifter, and a threat to this country,\u201d th<\/a>e Illinois governor said<\/a>. \u201cHe can now add one more title to his list \u2014 a felon.\u201d<\/p>\n

Under New York state law, Trump will not be classified as a felon until his sentencing, which is scheduled for July 11.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Michael Cohen reacts to the guilty verdict<\/h2>\n
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Michael Cohen, the prosecution\u2019s star witness who provided critical testimony during the trial, reacted to the news of the verdict in a post on X. <\/p>\n

\u201cGuilty On All Counts! #Team Cohen,\u201d he wrote, along with a zoomed-in screenshot that showed the news on TV. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Rep. Elise Stefanik, a potential Trump VP pick, calls verdict \u2018corrupt\u2019<\/h2>\n
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Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., who is considered a potential vice-presidential pick for Trump, blasted the jury\u2019s verdict in a statement <\/a>this evening.<\/p>\n

\u201cToday\u2019s verdict shows how corrupt, rigged, and unAmerican the weaponized justice system has become under Joe Biden and Democrats,\u201d Stefanik wrote. \u201cI fully support President Trump appealing this decision and look forward to a higher New York Court to deliver justice and overturn this verdict.\u201d <\/p>\n

Stefanik also took aim at the district attorney\u2019s office, saying the hush-money trial stemmed from a \u201czombie case illegally brought forward by a corrupt prosecutor doing Joe Biden\u2019s political bidding,\u201d and criticized Judge Merchan whom she called \u201ccorrupt and highly unethical.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cFrom the start, the weaponized scales of justice were stacked against President Trump. Joe Biden, Far Left Democrats, and their stenographers in the mainstream media have made it clear they will stop at nothing to prevent President Trump from returning to the White House,\u201d Stefanik added. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Verdict comes as members of Congress are on recess<\/h2>\n
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Lawmakers are currently on recess now, with many back home in their states or districts or on congressional delegation trips.<\/p>\n

Members of Congress return to Washington on Monday.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene posts image of upside-down American flag<\/h2>\n
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Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., a Trump ally, posted on X an image of an upside-down American flag, which is seen as a signal of distress. Inverted flags has been discussed in the news<\/a> lately after one was seen flying at Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito\u2019s house in 2021 shortly after Jan. 6.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The business records behind Trump\u2019s convictions <\/h2>\n
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Donald Trump was found guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records related to hush money payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels. These are the documents related to each count.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\u2018Political prisoner:\u2019 Trump already fundraising off of verdict<\/h2>\n
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Trump\u2019s campaign has already started fundraising off of the guilty verdict, blasting a promoted post on social media claiming to be a \u201cpolitical prisoner.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cNow I\u2019m asking for you to stand with me today,\u201d Trump\u2019s team wrote in a post on X. \u201cCan you chip in any amount to help me take back the White House?\u201d <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Trump\u2019s conviction has \u2018no bearing\u2019 on his status as Secret Service protectee<\/h2>\n
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Following Trump\u2019s conviction today, the United States Secret Service\u2019s chief of communications, Anthony Guglielmi, said in a statement: \u201cToday\u2019s outcome has no bearing on the manner in which the United States Secret Service carries out its protective mission. Our security measures will proceed unchanged.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Vivek Ramaswamy, possible VP pick, says guilty verdict will \u2018backfire\u2019<\/h2>\n
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Vivek Ramaswamy, the entrepreneur and former GOP presidential contender who is widely seen as a possible vice presidential pick for Trump, blasted the verdict in a post on X, writing that it would \u201cbackfire.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

He also repeated a misleading talking point about the jury instructions.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Can Trump vote in November now that he\u2019s been convicted of a felony in N.Y.? <\/h2>\n
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Former President\u00a0Donald Trump\u00a0<\/a>could soon join the millions of Americans whose voting rights depend on their criminal records when he is sentenced on 34 felony charges in the hush money case<\/a>.<\/p>\n

But experts say Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, is unlikely to be disenfranchised by the felony conviction in the New York case, noting that it would come down to whether he goes to prison as part of his sentence.<\/p>\n

Read the full story here.<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Every juror had to walk in front of Trump after finding him guilty<\/h2>\n
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All members of the jury had to walk in front of Trump as they left the room after finding him guilty on all 34 counts.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Democrats\u2019 reactions to Trump verdict start rolling in<\/h2>\n
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Reactions from Democrats are starting to roll in on social media. Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., said the jury\u2019s verdict \u201cproves what we have known to be true all along \u2014 Donald Trump is unfit to serve in any elected office, let alone President of the United States.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI was proud to lead both impeachments of Donald Trump, and now, I couldn\u2019t be more proud to be a New Yorker now that Manhattan has led the way in convicting him as a felon,\u201d Nadler wrote on X. <\/a><\/p>\n

Similarly, Rep. Judy Chu, D-Calif., said in a post to X <\/a>that \u201cour legal system worked as intended,\u201d and Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., noted on X <\/a>that \u201cthe rule of law won today.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Trump says after leaving courtroom: \u2018I\u2019m a very innocent man\u2019<\/h2>\n
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Trump briefly spoke to cameras outside the courtroom and repeated many of the same comments he\u2019s made in the same spot for the last several weeks.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis was a disgrace,\u201d he said. \u201cThis was a rigged trial by a conflicted judge who was corrupt \u2026 This was a rigged, disgraceful trial.\u201d <\/p>\n

Trump said the \u201creal verdict will be Nov. 5 by the people.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m a very innocent man,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s OK. I\u2019m fighting for our country. I\u2019m fighting for our Constitution.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trump said the country has \u201cgone to hell\u201d and \u201cwe\u2019re a divided mess.\u201d He said millions of people are pouring into the U.S. from prisons and mental institutions and some are terrorists. <\/p>\n

He repeated this was a \u201crigged decision right from Day One.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cThis is far from over,\u201d he said, before walking away.<\/p>\n


<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Trump campaign press aides seated in courtroom pews <\/h2>\n
\n
\"1\"<\/picture><\/div>\n
\"1\"<\/picture><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

Seated in the courtroom pews behind Trump as the verdict was read were Steven Cheung and Karoline Leavitt, campaign press aides who, if they enter the courtroom at all, are typically seated in the far back.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Trump has left courtroom<\/h2>\n
\n

Trump has left the courtroom. There were no bail charges for him and he left red, sullen and arms moving at his side.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Trump blasts \u2018rigged trial\u2019<\/h2>\n
\"1\"<\/picture><\/a><\/div>\n
\n

The former president, speaking to reporters outside the courtroom, decried the trial as \u201crigged and disgraceful,\u201d adding the \u201creal verdict\u201d will come on Election Day in November.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Trump\u2019s sentencing will take place just before the GOP convention<\/h2>\n
\"1\"<\/picture><\/a><\/div>\n
\n

Trump\u2019s sentencing hearing on July 11 will be just four days before the start of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Trump was convicted on \u2018ridiculous charges,\u2019 House speaker says<\/h2>\n
\n

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said in a statement<\/a> after the verdict was read that Trump was convicted on \u201cridiculous charges\u201d and that the former president had been targeted politically.<\/p>\n

\u201cToday is a shameful day in American history,\u201d Johnson wrote. \u201cDemocrats cheered as they convicted the leader of the opposing party on ridiculous charges, predicated on the testimony of a disbarred, convicted felon. This was a purely political exercise.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Trump Media share price plunges, bounces back after verdict<\/h2>\n
\"1\"<\/picture><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

Trump has left the courtroom<\/h2>\n
\n

The former president appeared red and sullen, arms moving at his side, as he left the courtroom where he has spent much of the last six weeks.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Trump will be sentenced on July 11<\/h2>\n
\n
\"1\"<\/picture><\/div>\n

+3<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Merchan ordered the sentencing hearing to begin at 10 a.m. on July 11 after both the defense and prosecutors agreed they would prefer a mid-July date.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Rep. Jordan rails against verdict, calling it \u2018travesty of justice\u2019<\/h2>\n
\n

Rep. Jim Jordan who chairs the House Judiciary panel, railed against the verdict shortly after it was delivered in a post on X<\/a>. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe verdict is a travesty of justice,\u201d the Ohio Republican wrote. \u201cThe Manhattan kangaroo court shows what happens when our justice system is weaponized by partisan prosecutors in front of a biased judge with an unfair process, designed to keep President Trump off the campaign trail and avoid bringing attention to President Biden\u2019s failing radical policies.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trump will be \u201cvindicated on appeal,\u201d Jordan added.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Members of public are gathering outside the courthouse<\/h2>\n
\"1\"<\/picture><\/a><\/div>\n
\n

Members of the public are gathering outside the courthouse. <\/p>\n

They seemed to be both opponents and supporters of the former president\u2019s. One poster said, \u201cTrump I don\u2019t trust you.\u201d <\/p>\n

Another man was wearing a red MAGA hat and was being interviewed by media. <\/p>\n


<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Judge Merchan thanks the jury for their service<\/h2>\n
\n
\"1\"<\/picture><\/div>\n
\"1\"<\/picture><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

Merchan offered his gratitude to the jury following their verdict, noting the time taken away from their jobs and families to be present throughout the trial.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want you to know that I really admire your dedication, your hard work,\u201d he said. \u201cYou gave this matter the attention it deserved, and I want to thank you for that.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Merchan denies Blanche\u2019s acquittal motion<\/h2>\n
\"1\"<\/picture><\/a><\/div>\n
\n

Blanche argued for a motion of acquittal, but Merchan turned down that request.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Trump looks at each of the jurors <\/h2>\n
\n
\"1\"<\/picture><\/div>\n

+2<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Donald Trump looked at each of the jurors as they were polled. Eric Trump, the former president\u2019s second-eldest son, looks angry. Alina Habba, the former president\u2019s legal advisor, appears to be texting.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Jury polled, still guilty on all counts <\/h2>\n
\"1\"<\/picture><\/a><\/div>\n
\n

After delivering guilty verdicts on all counts, the jury was polled to confirm its finding.<\/p>\n

The jurors confirmed this was their verdict.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Trump\u2019s lawyers appear extremely glum<\/h2>\n
\"1\"<\/picture><\/a><\/div>\n
\n

The former president\u2019s defense team include lawyers Todd Blanche and Emil Bove.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Biden campaign has not sent internal guidance on response to Trump verdict<\/h2>\n
\"1\"<\/picture><\/a><\/div>\n
\n

There has been no internal guidance on reaction to the Trump verdict \u2014nothing on what to say or not to say on social media, for example, according to a Biden campaign official. \u201cEveryone pretending this isn\u2019t happening,\u201d the official said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Trump has been found guilty on all 34 counts <\/h2>\n
\"1\"<\/picture><\/a><\/div>\n
\n

Trump has been found guilty on all 34 counts of business document fraud.<\/p>\n


<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Trump has been found guilty on at least 20 counts<\/h2>\n
\"1\"<\/picture><\/a><\/div>\n
\n

Trump has been found guilty on at least 20 counts. He has been found not guilty on zero counts.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The verdict continues to be read. He was charged with 34 total counts. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Trump has been found guilty on at least 10 counts <\/h2>\n
\"1\"<\/picture><\/a><\/div>\n
\n

Trump has been found guilty on at least 10 counts. He has been found not guilty on zero counts.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The verdict continues to be read. He was charged with 34 total counts. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Trump has been found guilty on at least one count of falsifying business records<\/h2>\n
\"1\"<\/picture><\/a><\/div>\n
\n

Trump has been found guilty on at least one count.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The verdict continues to be read. He was charged with 34 total counts.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Jury returns to courtroom<\/h2>\n
\"1\"<\/picture><\/a><\/div>\n
\n

The jury has returned to the courtroom.<\/p>\n

The verdict will be read soon.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Merchan is on the bench, the jury is coming in<\/h2>\n
\n

Court is back in session.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Eric Trump seems to be only family member there<\/h2>\n
\n

Eric Trump seems to be the former president\u2019s only family member inside the courtroom.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Where is Biden as the jury reaches a verdict?<\/h2>\n
\n
\"1\"<\/picture><\/div>\n

+2<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Biden is currently in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, about 200 miles from New York City. <\/p>\n

Today is the ninth anniversary of his son Beau Biden\u2019s death from brain cancer, and the president spent the somber occasion in church this morning with his family in Wilmington. <\/p>\n

A senior White House official said there are \u201cno plans\u201d for the president to respond to the Trump verdict at this time.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

District Attorney Alvin Bragg and his team enter the courtroom<\/h2>\n
\n
\"1\"<\/picture><\/div>\n
\"1\"<\/picture><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and and his team have entered the courtroom.<\/p>\n

They are occupying an entire row of seats.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Trump table has gone from smiling to sour<\/h2>\n
\n

The Trump table has gone from smiling to looking sour. They are very serious now and Trump has his armed crossed in front of his chest. <\/p>\n

Trump and Blanche occasionally whisper to each other. Trump looks resigned and any levity seems to have dissipated from the defense table. His attorneys are hardly speaking now.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

False right-wing reports about Trump trial jury instructions fuel threats against judge<\/h2>\n
\"1\"<\/picture><\/a><\/div>\n
\n

False reports about the jury instructions in former President Donald Trump\u2019s\u00a0hush money trial\u00a0<\/a>have been spreading across right-wing media, leading to threats against the judge overseeing the case.<\/p>\n

Several conservative news personalities, including some affiliated with Fox News, falsely claimed that Judge Juan Merchan, as one Fox News anchor put it in a viral post on X, \u201ctold the jury that they do not need unanimity to convict\u201d Trump.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s not true. Merchan instructed the jury on Wednesday that they \u201cmust conclude unanimously that a defendant conspired to promote or prevent the election of any person to a public office by unlawful means,\u201d adding that they \u201cneed not be unanimous as to what those unlawful means were.\u201d<\/p>\n

That means that jurors have to agree unanimously that Trump committed a crime by engaging in a criminal conspiracy to falsify records with the intent to commit one or more other crimes in order to convict him. But jurors can choose from three options about what those other crimes were.<\/p>\n

Read the full story here.<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Jury deliberated for 9.5 hours<\/h2>\n
\n

The jury deliberated for a total of 9.5 hours over the course of two days before reaching a verdict.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Jury has reached a verdict, judge says<\/h2>\n
\n

Judge Juan Merchan told the courtroom that the jury has reached a verdict.<\/p>\n

In reading a note from the jury, Merchan said: \u201cWe the jury have a verdict. We would like an extra 30 minutes to fill out the forms if that\u2019d be possible.\u201d<\/p>\n


<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Court still waiting for dismissal<\/h2>\n
\"1\"<\/picture><\/a><\/div>\n
\n

A few minutes past the supposed dismissal time, the courtroom is so silent that all I can hear are my own keystrokes and those of the reporters to my immediate right and left.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Courtroom is thick with tension<\/h2>\n
\n
\"1\"<\/picture><\/div>\n
\"1\"<\/picture><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

Even though we have no reason to believe that a verdict will be delivered before jurors are dismissed for the day, the courtroom is thick with tension. <\/p>\n

Every cough is audible and can be heard echoing off the wood-paneled walls of the courtroom. Reporters are shifting in their seats to get a glimpse of the lawyers. Knowing looks about the wait are also being exchanged across the aisle.<\/p>\n

At perhaps the ripest moment of tension, the courtroom door swings open \u2026 and in walks Andrew Giuliani, the son of the former New York City mayor<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Trump complains about jury instructions and criticizes judge<\/h2>\n
\n

Throughout the day, Trump has continued to complain about Judge Juan Merchan, his trial and the jury instructions on Truth Social as he sits and awaits his fate in his holding room. <\/p>\n

In just over 30 minutes, the former president has posted <\/a>twice <\/a>on his social media platform, arguing that the jury instructions were \u201cUNFAIR, MISLEADING, INACCURATE, AND UNCONSTITUTIONAL,\u201d and criticizing Judge Merchan as \u201cHIGHLY CONFLICTED\u201d and \u201cBIASED.\u201d Trump also repeated claims contending the trial is a witch hunt and election interference.<\/p>\n

He also said, in all caps, that his civil rights have been \u201ctotally violated.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Trump team seems to be in good spirits<\/h2>\n
\n
\"1\"<\/picture><\/div>\n

+3<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Trump is talking with his attorneys, turning to Todd Blanche, who is leaning towards the former president and covering his mouth, then to Emil Bove, who is also chatting with Susan Necheles, and smiling.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Blanche is laughing as he whispers to Trump, who is also cracking a small smile as he listens.<\/p>\n

Necheles and Bove seem to be in very good spirits.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

No verdict, judge says jury will be excused at 4:30 p.m.<\/h2>\n
\n

Judge Merchan entered the courtroom and announced that the jury will be excused at 4:30 p.m. today. There is no verdict and no notes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Trump and defense team back in courtroom<\/h2>\n
\n

Trump, his defense lawyers and his son Eric are back in the courtroom. Upon entering, Trump said, \u201cI wanna campaign.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Prosecutors are in the courtroom<\/h2>\n
\n

Prosecutors from the DA\u2019s office are now in the courtroom, the jury did not ring the bell so it\u2019s unclear why they are there. So far, the judge and the defense aren\u2019t there either. DA Bragg is not here either.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Michael Cohen takes lawsuit against Trump to Supreme Court <\/h2>\n
\n

While Trump awaits a verdict in the hush money trial, star witness Michael Cohen wants the Supreme Court to intervene in his lawsuit against the former president for sending him back to prison after his release.<\/p>\n

Cohen last week requested more time to file his petition for a writ of certiorari, which the Supreme Court uses to hear many of its cases.\u00a0The initial filing deadline was June 5, but Justice Sonia Sotomayor today extended the deadline to July 10. If Cohen\u2019s eventual petition is granted by the Supreme Court, then the justices will hear the case and there will be more filings.<\/p>\n

The lawsuit filed by Cohen is a so-called Bivens claim and it alleges constitutional violations against federal officials including Trump, former Attorney General Bill Barr, the Justice Department and others for remanding Cohen to Otisville prison on July 9, 2020, after he had been released for Covid precautions. Cohen has said for years that he felt he was being punished for writing a book about Trump.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

A quiet stretch <\/h2>\n
\"1\"<\/picture><\/a><\/div>\n
\n

There has been no sign of life from the jury.<\/p>\n

The sole action in the courtroom this afternoon was when a member of the court staff used the copier to make copies of a document. It is unclear whether the copies had anything to do with this case.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum at the courthouse<\/h2>\n
\"1\"<\/picture><\/a><\/div>\n
\n

North Dakota\u2019s GOP governor, Doug Burgum, is at the courthouse. He\u2019s rumored to be a potential vice presidential pick for Trump. He ran for the GOP nomination this cycle but dropped out in December.<\/p>\n

\"Doug<\/picture>
North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, center, appears outside Manhattan Criminal Court next to Trump campaign adviser Jason Miller on Thursday.<\/span>Katherine Koretski \/ NBC News<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

No new notes during lunch<\/h2>\n
\"1\"<\/picture><\/a><\/div>\n
\n

A court officer has confirmed there have been no notes from the jury during the lunch break.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Several ambulances at courthouse are believed to be unrelated to Trump trial, official says<\/h2>\n
\n
\"1\"<\/picture><\/div>\n

+2<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Several ambulances pulled up to the courthouse within the last half hour. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe issue is not believed to be connected to the Trump trial,\u201d according to a senior NYC official.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Black limo bearing a falsified presidential seal and Trump\u2019s name drives by the courthouse<\/h2>\n
\"1\"<\/picture><\/a><\/div>\n
\n

A Black limo with a fake presidential seal and the license plate TRUMP 01 drove past 100 Centre Street.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Trump protester who came to NYC from Maryland: \u2018Democracy is at stake\u2019<\/h2>\n
\"1\"<\/picture><\/a><\/div>\n
\n
\"Nadine<\/picture>
Nadine Seiler outside of Manhattan criminal court on Thursday.<\/span>Daniel Arkin \/ NBC News<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Nadine Seiler, 59, a professional home organizer who lives in Maryland, traveled to NYC last Thursday. She plans to stay here until there is a verdict.<\/p>\n

\u201cDemocracy is at stake,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0think the people in this country are paying attention.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cProject 2025 is going to be ushered in,\u201d she said, referring to a conservative policy blueprint written in part by Trump allies. She said she is especially concerned about \u201cmass deportations\u201d and the rise of \u201cwhite Christian nationalism.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Trump posts a fake video mocking actor Robert De Niro<\/h2>\n
\"1\"<\/picture><\/a><\/div>\n
\n

While Trump awaits a verdict, he posted a video<\/a> featuring fake audio over actor Robert De Niro speaking at a recent news conference held by the Biden campaign<\/a> alongside two\u00a0former police officers who defended the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.<\/p>\n

The video <\/a>features audio that altered De Niro\u2019s remarks at the news conference. The audio includes a fake voice-over asking people to put on a mask and keep their distance, calling himself a \u201cwashed up actor\u201d (an insult Trump waged at him in a recent post), accuses Biden of having \u201csick perversions,\u201d saying he has \u201calways been jealous\u201d of Trump and other remarks containing homophobic rhetoric.<\/p>\n

The post comes as part of a series of posts to Trump\u2019s Truth Social platform this morning asserting prosecutors have no case against him in the hush money trial.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Anti-Trump protesters rally away from his supporters<\/h2>\n
\"1\"<\/picture><\/a><\/div>\n
\n

At least two anti-Trump demonstrators are holding court on the opposite side of the park, holding signs\/banners (\u201cConvict Trump Already,\u201d \u201cConvict the Bum\u201d) and talking to the media.<\/p>\n

\"Anti-Trump<\/picture>
Anti-Trump demonstrators outside of Manhattan criminal court on Thursday.<\/span>Daniel Arkin \/ NBC News<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

Court is on a lunch break<\/h2>\n
\"1\"<\/picture><\/a><\/div>\n
\n

The jurors themselves are not technically on a break, though, as they can continue to deliberate over lunch.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Trump gets a TV to watch in his courthouse holding room<\/h2>\n
\"1\"<\/picture><\/a><\/div>\n
\n

As the former president passes the time in his courthouse holding room waiting on the jury to finish its deliberations, NBC News has learned he has managed to get a television put in the room today (he didn\u2019t have one yesterday). When asked what channel the TV is turned to, the source demurred.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Trump supporter heckles media outside courthouse <\/h2>\n
\"1\"<\/picture><\/a><\/div>\n
\n

I counted around a dozen Trump supporters in the park across the street from the courthouse\u00a0\u2014\u00a0a smaller crowd than the one that showed up yesterday around this time. The news crews have been repeatedly and profanely heckled by the Trump supporter in the anti-Biden cape, but otherwise the demonstration seems relatively quiet.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Merchan instructs jury not to deliberate while audio is being set up<\/h2>\n
\n

Merchan said the court would provide jurors with headphones and speakers as the jury was excused from the room to continue deliberations. He said they should hold off on deliberating until the audio is set up.<\/p>\n

Jurors began deliberations again around 11:20 a.m.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

A slow-moving Trump exits the courtroom with his tired-looking lawyers<\/h2>\n
\n

Eric Trump smiled to some of the reporters in the back on his way. Not knowingly, just a general smile.<\/p>\n

A dour, slow-moving Trump just exited the courtroom, doing his usual scan of the gallery; he is followed by exhausted-looking lawyer Todd Blanche and an even more-tired-looking lawyer Emil Bove.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Court\u2019s readback concludes<\/h2>\n
\"1\"<\/picture><\/a><\/div>\n
\n

The court\u2019s readback has concluded. The attorneys and Trump were excused.<\/p>\n

Jury deliberations are set to begin shortly as jurors prepare to head out of the courtroom.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Court moves onto the last jury request: Michael Cohen\u2019s testimony<\/h2>\n
\n
\"1\"<\/picture><\/div>\n

+2<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

We\u2019ve moved on to the last request from the jury: Michael Cohen\u2019s testimony about the August 2015 meeting under direct examination by the prosecutors. <\/p>\n

This is about Cohen\u2019s side of the conversation with Pecker about negative stories Pecker may come upon.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Court reads back Trump lawyer\u2019s cross-examination of David Pecker about his meeting with prosecutors in July 2018 <\/h2>\n
\"1\"<\/picture><\/a><\/div>\n
\n

The section they are reviewing now concerns Pecker\u2019s meeting with prosecutors in July 2018 and, specifically, notes thereof, which do not reflect that Pecker told the government that Hope Hicks was at that August 2015 meeting. Pecker testified that he did not mention Hicks being there when he met with the government in July 2018.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Court reads portion of Pecker\u2019s testimony on Trump Tower meeting<\/h2>\n
\"1\"<\/picture><\/a><\/div>\n
\n

The court read a portion of Pecker\u2019s testimony in which he was asked about who was at an August 2015 meeting at Trump Tower.Pecker at one point during the trial testified that Trump and Cohen were both there while Hope Hicks was \u201cin and out\u201d of the room and Trump\u2019s lawyer pressed him on that.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Court rereads testimony where David Pecker doesn\u2019t remember exactly when the Trump Tower meeting happened<\/h2>\n
\n

They are now reading a portion of Emil Bove\u2019s cross-examination of David Pecker, which focuses on Pecker\u2019s inability to remember precisely when, in August 2015, the Trump Tower meeting took place.<\/p>\n

BOVE: \u201cThese are things that happened a long time ago, right?<\/em><\/p>\n

PECKER: \u201cYes.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Readback so far is solely focused on the alleged conspiracy to influence the election <\/h2>\n
\"1\"<\/picture><\/a><\/div>\n
\n

Everything the jury is hearing read back from the Pecker testimony this morning is about the alleged conspiracy to influence the election \u2014 not a word of this is about the 34 counts of falsifying business records, which is notable. <\/p>\n

If the documents aren\u2019t false records \u2014 the jury doesn\u2019t even need to reach the question of whether the state has proven the\u00a0other\u00a0<\/em>crime that bumps the charges up to the felony. Pecker was also the first witness, who testified weeks ago at this point, so jurors have heard a lot since that time. But they\u2019ve also heard an instruction telling them they can\u2019t convict Trump on Michael Cohen\u2019s word alone under the law.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Pecker had testified that the plan to notify Trump of negative stories was only beneficial for Trump <\/h2>\n
\"1\"<\/picture><\/a><\/div>\n
\n

As part of Pecker\u2019s account of the August 2015 meeting, he testified that notifying Trump, through Michael Cohen, of negative stories about women or other negative stories that came to their attention, did\u00a0not\u00a0<\/em>help the National Enquirer, as contrasted with the other two components of the agreement, which were mutually beneficial. <\/p>\n

The prosecutor had asked him, \u201cThe purpose of that part was to benefit the campaign; am I understanding it right?\u201d \u201cThat\u2019s right,\u201d Pecker said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Court moves onto jury\u2019s third request: David Pecker\u2019s testimony about the 2015 Trump Tower meeting<\/h2>\n
\n

This transcript reading is getting into the crux of the jury\u2019s request: who was at the Trump Tower meeting, how the Trump Tower meeting came about, etc. <\/p>\n

This transcript portion is about Pecker saying he would notify Michael Cohen if any negative stories about Donald Trump came up.<\/p>\n

Prosecutor: \u201cDid you believe that would help Mr. Trump\u2019s campaign?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

David Pecker: \u201cI believe it was a mutual benefit.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Courtroom is full and energized<\/h2>\n
\"1\"<\/picture><\/a><\/div>\n
\n

The courtroom is packed and a little warm. But most people are rapt. The voices of the \u201cquestioner\u201d and \u201cwitness\u201d are clear as day, and the only noise in the courtroom is the clickety-clacking of dozens of laptops.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Court reads redirect examination of David Pecker by\u00a0prosecutor<\/h2>\n
\n
\"1\"<\/picture><\/div>\n

+2<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

The readers have moved onto the redirect examination of David Pecker by prosecutor Joshua Steinglass.<\/p>\n

This is about Pecker telling Cohen to rip up the agreement.<\/p>\n

\u201cI told him we were trying to help the campaign and to do that, we were going to keep this as quiet as possible,\u201d Pecker said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Here\u2019s why the witness recaps seem to be flying by<\/h2>\n
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\n

This readback is faster than the testimony was on that day because Pecker would speak slower and you don\u2019t have the natural pauses a witness would take after getting asked a question. It\u2019s not a significant detail but explains why they\u2019re blowing through the requests.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Court reads Pecker\u2019s testimony on decision not to fund Karen McDougal\u2019s life rights <\/h2>\n
\n

They\u2019re now rereading David Pecker\u2019s testimony on the decision not to finalize and fund Karen McDougal\u2019s life rights. McDougal, a former Playboy model, said she had an affair with Trump, which he denies.<\/p>\n

During this testimony, Pecker recalled telling Cohen that he wanted to \u201ctear up\u201d the life rights assignment, and Cohen warned him Trump would be \u201cvery mad,\u201d and Pecker confirmed that AMI was never reimbursed for the payment it made to acquire the exclusive life rights to McDougal\u2019s story.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Court employee reads section where Pecker recounts telling Trump Karen McDougal\u2019s story should be purchased<\/h2>\n
\n
\"1\"<\/picture><\/div>\n

+2<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

She just reached the part where David Pecker recounted telling Trump, \u201cI think that the story should be purchased, and I think you should buy it.\u201d <\/p>\n

That section ends with Trump telling Pecker he will think about it and will have Michael Cohen call him back in a few days.<\/p>\n

During this reread, Trump\u2019s eyes are closed.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Court employee recites part of David Pecker\u2019s testimony on phone call with Trump<\/h2>\n
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\n

The woman who is playing the \u201cwitness\u201d just recited the part of David Pecker\u2019s testimony about his phone conversation with Trump at his investor\u2019s office, during which he is asked why he told Trump to purchase the Karen McDougal story.<\/p>\n

\u201cI believed the story was true. I believed it would have been very embarrassing to himself and also to the campaign,\u201d she read.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Witness readback expected to take about a half-hour<\/h2>\n
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\n

For timing purposes, remember this started at 10:27 a.m., and Merchan said he expected it to take about 30 minutes or so last night. So they should be done around 11 a.m.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Court employee begins rereading testimony requested by jury<\/h2>\n
\n

A court employee is now beginning to reread the testimony requested by the jury.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am going to read the questions as if I am a lawyer, and my colleague is going to read the answers as if she\u2019s a witness,\u201d the staffer, a woman, said.<\/p>\n

The blond, bespectacled woman playing the witness is sitting in the witness box; neither was identified by name but were merely introduced as \u201ccolleagues.\u201d<\/p>\n

Both women who are reading the witness testimony have a New York accent.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Merchan reads aloud instructions on violation of tax laws<\/h2>\n
\n

\u201cUnder New York State and New York City law, it is unlawful to knowingly supply or submit materially false or fraudulent information in connection with any tax return,\u201d the instructions read.<\/p>\n

\u201cLikewise, under federal law, it is unlawful for a person to willfully make any tax return, statement, or other document that is fraudulent or false as to any material matter, or that the person does not believe to be true and correct as to every material matter.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Judge rereads instruction on the Federal Election Campaign Act <\/h2>\n
\n

Judge Merchan reread the prosecution\u2019s theories of \u201cunlawful means\u201d and he said he will define the Federal Election Campaign Act. <\/p>\n

Under that act, he said, it\u2019s illegal for an individual to \u201cwillfully make a contribution to any candidate with respect to any election for federal office, including the office of President of the United States, which exceeds a certain limit.\u201d He said in 2015 and 2016, that limit was $2,700. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt is also unlawful under the Federal Election Campaign Act for any corporation to willfully make a contribution of any amount to a candidate or candidate\u2019s campaign in connection with any federal election, or for any person to cause such a corporate contribution. For purposes of these prohibitions, an expenditure made in cooperation, consultation, or concert with, or at the request or suggestion of, a candidate or his agents shall be considered to be a contribution to such candidate.\u201d<\/p>\n

He added that the terms contribution and expenditure \u201cinclude anything of value, including any purchase, payment, loan, or advance, made by any person for the purpose of influencing any election for federal office.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Merchan goes over intent to defraud and New York election law<\/h2>\n
\n
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+2<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cSection 17-152 of the New York Election Law provides that any two or more persons who conspire to promote or prevent the election of any person to a public office by unlawful means and which conspiracy is acted upon by one or more of the parties thereto, shall be guilty of conspiracy to promote or prevent an election,\u201d the instructions read.<\/p>\n

\u201cUnder our law, a person is guilty of such a conspiracy when, with intent that conduct be performed that would promote or prevent the election of a person to public office by unlawful means, he or she agrees with one or more persons to engage in or cause the performance of such conduct.\u201d<\/p>\n

As Merchan explains that the jury needs to unanimously find that the conspiracy was to promote Trump\u2019s election by \u201cunlawful means,\u201d but that it does not have to agree on what those means are, Juror 10 appears to nod.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Judge rereads the charge of falsification of business records<\/h2>\n
\n

Judge Merchan reread the charge of falsification of business records. He said a person is guilty of that in the first degree \u201cwhen, with intent to defraud that includes an intent to commit another crime or to aid or conceal the commission thereof, that person: makes or causes a false entry in the business records of an enterprise.\u201d <\/p>\n

He said enterprise \u201cmeans any entity of one or more persons, corporate or otherwise, public or private, engaged in business, commercial, professional, industrial, social, political or governmental activity.\u201d <\/p>\n

Merchan said business record \u201cmeans any writing or article, including computer data or a computer program, kept or maintained by an enterprise for the purpose of evidencing or reflecting its condition or activity.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Note on the instructions on accomplice liability<\/h2>\n
\"1\"<\/picture><\/a><\/div>\n
\n

Note the accomplice liability instruction, which still requires that Trump instruct\/command\/solicit, etc. the person actually committing the falsification, is separate from the word \u201ccause,\u201d which appears in the falsification of business records statute and charge. <\/p>\n

The charge does note define the word \u201ccause,\u201d despite the prosecution\u2019s request. But in his closing, proseuctor Joshua Steinglass subtly encouraged the jury to use an expansive understanding of \u201ccause.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Naked Cowboy joins Trump supporters<\/h2>\n
\"1\"<\/picture><\/a><\/div>\n
\n
\"\"<\/picture>
Daniel Arkin \/ NBC News<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Robert Burck, the Times Square performer knows as The Naked Cowboy, confirms with police that he\u2019s in the right place before walking into the area for Trump supporters.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Trump appears to be nodding off at some points<\/h2>\n
\n

Trump\u2019s head is bobbing slowly forward until his chin rests on his chest before he jerks it back every so often. He is resting his hands on his lap.<\/p>\n

At one point, his eyes closed.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hillary Clinton pokes fun after Trump verdict Hillary Clinton, the 2016 Democratic nominee who lost to Trump, indirectly referred to the verdict tonight when she presented an award at a festival at the Kennedy Center in Washington. “Anything going on today?” she said with a slight smile to the audience, which applauded. “Well, I have<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2986,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2185],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2985","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-trump-election-news"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_nbcnews-fp-1200-630,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2024-05\/240520-donald-trump-hush-money-trial-ac-949p-b405e9.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nine9ja.com\/pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2985","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nine9ja.com\/pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nine9ja.com\/pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nine9ja.com\/pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nine9ja.com\/pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2985"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/nine9ja.com\/pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2985\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nine9ja.com\/pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2986"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nine9ja.com\/pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2985"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nine9ja.com\/pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2985"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nine9ja.com\/pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2985"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}