The former president is to be sentenced shortly before the start of this summer’s Republican National Convention, where he will be nominated as his party’s candidate for the November election.
“It was a rigged trial,” said Donald Trump at a press conference following his conviction.
A day after a New York jury delivered a historic guilty verdict in his criminal ‘hush money’ trial, the former president gave a speech at Trump Tower in New York City in which he proclaimed his innocence despite his conviction and accused the judge who presided over the case of being “conflicted” – as well as ranting about migrants living in “beautiful tents”.
In his remarks, Trump tried to refashion his conviction on 34 felony charges into fuel for his re-election bid, not an impediment to it, pointing out he has received a record amount in campaign donations in the hours since the verdict was handed down.
Trump said the trial was a “disgrace” and insisted he is “an innocent man”.
“If they can do this to me they can do this to anyone,” he said.
After a shorter-than-expected deliberation, a jury convicted him on Friday on charges that he illegally covered up an effort to illegitimately influence the 2016 US presidential election by way of a hush money payment to an adult film actress who said the two had sex.
The convictions mark the first time a former US president has ever been found guilty of criminal offences.
Trump still faces three more felony indictments, but this was the first to reach trial. It will likely be the only one to conclude before the US presidential election in November.
The judge adjourned the matter for sentencing until July 11, with Trump facing up to four years in prison.
