Trump trial: Biden calls Trump's remarks 'dangerous'

Trump was found guilty on all 34 felony counts in his hush money trial.

Former President Donald Trump has been found guilty on all 34 felony counts related to a 2016 hush money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. It marks the first time in history that a former U.S. president has been convicted on criminal charges.

Trump last April pleaded not guilty to a 34-count indictment charging him with falsifying business records in connection with a hush money payment his then-attorney Michael Cohen made to Daniels in order to boost his electoral prospects in the 2016 presidential election.


Trump guilty on all 34 counts


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Biden calls Trump's remarks 'dangerous'

In an address from the White House, President Joe Biden said Donald Trump's criticism of the judicial system in the wake of his criminal conviction yesterday is "reckless" and "dangerous."

"The jury reached an unanimous verdict that found him guilty on all 34 felony counties. Now he'll be given the opportunity, as he should, to appeal that decision, just like everyone else has that opportunity," Biden said. "That's how the American system of justice works, and it's reckless, it's dangerous, it's irresponsible for anyone to say it was rigged just because they don't like the verdict."

"It was a state case, not a federal case, and it was heard by a jury of 12 citizens," said Biden, who made the remarks at the beginning of an address on the status of the Israel-Hamas conflict.

"Our justice system has endured for nearly 250 years, and it really is the cornerstone of America," he said. "Our justice system and justices should be respected. We should never allow anyone to tear it down. That's America. That's who we are, that's who will always be, God willing."

"The American principle that no one is above the law was reaffirmed," Biden said of yesterday's verdict.


Trump calls judge 'tyrant,' slams Cohen without naming him

Former President Trump, speaking from Trump Tower the morning after his historic felony conviction, slammed witness Michael Cohen while calling the judge in the case a "tyrant."

"We're going to be appealing in many different things. He wouldn't allow us to have witnesses, he wouldn't allow us to talk, he wouldn't allow us to do anything," Trump said of Judge Juan Merchan. "The judge was a tyrant."

Of Trump's former attorney Michael Cohen, who testified for the prosecution, Trump said, "This was [once] a highly qualified lawyer. I'm not allowed to use his name because of the gag order. He is a sleaze. Everybody knows that. Took me a while to found out."

Trump, who still remains to be sentenced on July 11, remains under the limited gag order that prohibits him from attacking witnesses in the case as well as jurors and attorneys other than Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg.

"This should have been a non-case. Everybody said it was a non-case," Trump said.


Trump attacks judge a day after his conviction

Donald Trump, speaking from Trump Tower, lodged a litany of complaints about his conviction yesterday on criminal charges, attacking the judge in the case, the DA who brought it, his former attorney who testified against him, and the charges themselves.

"We had a conflicted judge, highly conflicted. There's never been a more conflicted judge," he said of Judge Juan Merchan.

"You saw what happened to some of the witnesses that were on our side," Trump said. "They were literally crucified by this man who looks like an angel, but he's really a devil. He looks so nice and soft. People say, 'Oh he seems like such nice man' -- unless you saw him in action."

"It's a rigged -- it was a rigged trial," Trump said, repeating his oft-stated baseless claim.


Trump to hold press conference at Trump Tower

The morning after his historic felony conviction, former President Trump is set to address reporters at an 11 a.m. ET press conference.

Trump will speak from the atrium of Trump Tower, just feet away from the golden escalator he rode down in 2015 when he kicked off his first bid for president.

Now, nearly nine years later, Trump is expected to address to his conviction and the legal battle he faces amid his third presidential bid.

Campaign officials and some supporters are also expected to be present.


Jury deliberations scheduled to get underway

The jury in Donald Trump's criminal hush money trial is scheduled to begin deliberating the outcome of the case this morning after lengthy closing arguments yesterday.

Judge Juan Merchan will begin the proceedings at 10 a.m. ET when he instructs the jury about the law in the case -- a vital process that Merchan estimates will take approximately an hour.

Once the jury is charged, they can begin deliberating whether prosecutors met their burden by proving that Trump falsified 34 business records to further a criminal conspiracy to influence the 2016 election.

The jury heard nearly eight hours of summations yesterday when defense lawyer Todd Blanche and prosecutor Joshua Steinglass delivered marathon closing arguments.

Blanche told jurors that prosecutors failed to prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt due in part to their reliance on the testimony of former Trump attorney Michael Cohen, who he described as the "human embodiment of reasonable doubt."

Steinglass argued that Trump's alleged falsification of records ahead of the election amounted to a "subversion of democracy" by hiding critical information from voters.