'I'm a Very Innocent Man': Donald Trump Breaks His Silence on 'Disgraceful, Rigged' Trial After Being Convicted on 34 Felony Counts
May 30 2024, Published 6:12 p.m. ET
Ex-president and convicted felon Donald Trump broke his silence moments after the New York jury found him guilty on all 34 felony counts in his hush money election interference trial, RadarOnline.com has learned.
Trump attacked Judge Juan Merchan before repeating his ongoing claims that the "rigged trial" was brought by President Joe Biden.
On Thursday, May 30, after deliberating for nearly 12 hours, the jury returned the unanimous guilty verdict on all 34 counts of falsifying business records to cover up hush money payments prior to the 2016 presidential election.
Judge Merchan denied Trump's attorneys move for an acquittal of the charges and set the sentencing date for July 11, mere days before the Republican National Convention.
With the verdict, Trump became the first president in U.S. history to be convicted of a felony. As the presumptive Republican nominee left the courtroom, he paused to speak to reporters. His face was flushed as he called the trial a "disgrace" and repeatedly claimed it was "rigged."
"We didn't do a thing wrong," Trump declared. "I’m a very innocent man."
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Trump then claimed the "real verdict is going to be November 5 by the people," referring to the upcoming presidential election, adding, "They know what happened here and everybody knows what happened here."
The ex-president went into campaign mode as he attacked Biden and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
"Our whole country is being rigged right now," Trump said. "This was done by the Biden administration in order to wound or hurt an opponent, a political opponent."
"We'll keep fighting, we'll fight til the end and we'll win because our country's gone to hell," the ex-president continued. "We don't have the same country anymore, we have a divided mess."
Before he left the courthouse, Trump concluded his statements with a rally cry, "We will fight for our Constitution. This is long from over."
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Meanwhile, the Biden campaign issued a statement following the historic verdict.
"Donald Trump has always mistakenly believed he would never face consequences for breaking the law for his own personal gain. But today’s verdict does not change the fact that the American people face a simple reality. There is still only one way to keep Donald Trump out of the Oval Office: at the ballot box. Convicted felon or not, Trump will be the Republican nominee for president," Michael Tyler, campaign communication director, wrote in a statement, according to CNN.
"The threat Trump poses to our democracy has never been greater. A second Trump term means chaos, ripping away Americans’ freedoms and fomenting political violence — and the American people will reject it this November."