Donald Trump calls judge ‘devil,’ denies affair

Donald Trump calls judge ‘a devil,’ slams Michael Cohen despite gag order — claims ‘nothing ever happened’ with Stormy Daniels

Former President Donald Trump walks outside of Manhattan Criminal Court after a jury convicted him of felony crimes for falsifying business records in a scheme to illegally influence the 2016 election on Thursday in New York

Donald Trump‘s historic criminal hush money trial reached a dramatic crescendo Thursday, with the Republican front-runner for the White House becoming the first former U.S. president convicted of felony charges.

In Donald Trump’s hush money trial, the jury found him guilty on Thursday, marking a significant moment in American history and complicating the 2024 presidential race for the Republican frontrunner.

After about nine hours of discussion, the jury decided Trump was guilty of 34 felony counts. These charges were for falsifying business records to hide payments that were intended to silence stories about an affair. This “catch and kill” scheme was done during his 2016 presidential campaign to influence the election.

In Trump’s trial in Manhattan, all 12 jurors agreed that he was guilty of 34 felony counts. These charges were about lying on documents to hide payments made secretly during his 2016 presidential campaign. Even though Trump said he didn’t do it, the jury thought differently based on the evidence.

Trump is the first former American president to face a criminal trial and the first to be found guilty.

“You gave this matter the attention that it deserved and I thank you for that,” Judge Juan Merhcan said, thanking the 12 jurors for their civic duty before excusing them.

Last summer, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office charged Trump with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, including 11 checks, 11 invoices and 12 ledger entries. Trump had denied any wrongdoing, but ultimately chose not to testify

Former President Donald Trump harshly criticized Judge Juan Merchan and key witness Michael Cohen on Friday, just one day after being found guilty of 34 criminal charges. Despite a gag order before sentencing, Trump claimed “nothing ever happened” between him and porn star Stormy Daniels.

Speaking at Trump Tower in Midtown Manhattan, Trump described Merchan as “looking like an angel but really a devil,” calling the judge a “tyrant,” “crooked,” and “crazed” during a 33-minute speech.

“We have a judge who’s highly conflicted. You know what the conflict is. Nobody wants to write about it, and I’m not allowed to talk about it. If I do, he said, I get put in jail,” said the 77-year-old presumptive Republican presidential nominee.

Donald Trump launched a fiery attack Friday on Judge Juan Merchan and star prosecution witness Michael Cohen a day after being convicted of 34 criminal counts.AP

Trump was told not to speak against trial witnesses or Judge Merchan’s family, particularly his daughter Loren Trump, who is active in Democratic politics. But he ignored these instructions and criticized them anyway, though he didn’t say their names.

Michael Cohen – Trump’s former lawyer, fixer and confidant – was the star witness for the prosecutors, and testified that Trump directed him to make a $130,000 hush money payment to a former porn star and then approved the scheme to reimburse Cohen. The conspiracy sat at the heart of the case, and the narrative was bolstered by nine separate checks signed by Trump himself, among other exhibits entered into evidence.

Trump’s sentencing has been set for July 11 – notably, just four days before the Republican National Convention kicks off in the swing state of Wisconsin.

Based on New York law, Donald Trump could potentially face up to four years in prison for each of the Class E felonies he was found guilty of, totaling 34 counts. Legal experts consulted before the jury’s decision indicated that individuals found guilty, particularly those with multiple ongoing criminal cases like Trump, typically receive some form of incarceration. Sentences of less than a year often result in individuals being sent to the notorious Rikers Island jail complex in New York Cit.

If Donald Trump is found guilty of a felony, it wouldn’t automatically disqualify him from running for president. However, it could seriously affect his campaign. A Reuters/Ipsos poll from April showed that around 1 in 4 Republicans and 60% of independents wouldn’t vote for Trump if he’s convicted in a criminal trial. This suggests that a felony conviction could have significant consequences for his chances in the election.

The real verdict is going to be Nov. 5, by the people,” Trump said Thursday