Donald Trump’s conviction on 34 felony counts of falsifying corporate records set off a political firestorm in Washington on Thursday, with Republicans furiously labeling the verdict as a miscarriage of justice while Democrats praised New York jurors for delivering a fair verdict in one of the most historic trials in American history.
Unsurprisingly, Republicans rallied behind Trump and repeated their baseless accusations that the Biden administration was guilty of political persecution of the former US president.
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“Today is a shameful day in American history,” said Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson. “This was a purely political exercise, not a legal one. The weaponization of our justice system has been a hallmark of the Biden administration, and today’s decision is further evidence that Democrats will do everything in their power to silence dissent and crush their political opponents.”
Congressman Jim Jordan, the embattled right-wing Republican chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, also deplored the verdict as “a travesty of justice,” adding: “Manhattan’s kangaroo court shows what happens when our justice system is weaponized by partisan prosecutors before a biased judge with an unfair trial.”
Some Trump advisers and family members were even more blunt in their assessment of the verdict. “What nonsense,” Donald Trump Jr., the former president’s eldest son, wrote on X.
Some Trump allies predicted the conviction would be overturned on appeal and would mobilize only Republican voters in the election, while at least one lawmaker suggested the verdict would set a dangerous precedent.
“This verdict says more about the system than the allegations. It will be seen as politically motivated and unfair, and it will backfire enormously on the political left,” said Republican senator and close Trump ally Lindsey Graham. “I fear we have opened Pandora’s box regarding the presidency itself.”
Meanwhile, Democrats were more reserved in their response to the verdict, viewing the jurors’ decision as a reflection of the strength of the American justice system.
“Today we saw in New York that no one is above the law. Donald Trump has always wrongly believed that he would never face consequences if he broke the law for his own personal gain,” said Michael Tyler, Biden’s campaign director.
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, the Democratic chairman of the Senate Judiciary subcommittee, argued that the verdict confirmed that Trump was “unfit to lead the greatest nation in the world.”
“Only in fair courtrooms has the former president been unable to lie and bully his way out of trouble,” Whitehouse said. “Americans trust juries for a reason.”
Senator Chris Coons, a Democratic member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, added: “I commend the jurors for their service and urge all Americans, regardless of party affiliation, to accept and support the outcome of this trial.” to respect.”
After dismissing the verdict as a “disgrace,” Trump immediately turned his conviction into a campaign issue, sending a fundraising email to his supporters in which he described himself as a “political prisoner.”
“But with your support at this moment in history, WE WILL REWIN THE WHITE HOUSE AND MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” read the email. “WE MUST MAKE JOE BIDEN REGRET WHO EVER COMES AFTER US!”
The National Republican Senatorial Committee also made a fundraising pitch after the jury returned its verdict, labeling the trial a “witch hunt.”
Biden himself declined to comment or respond to the verdict on Thursday; Ian Sams, spokesman for the White House counsel’s office, said in a statement: “We respect the rule of law and have no additional comment.”
But Biden’s campaign team made clear that the president would continue to prosecute his own case against Trump as the country looks ahead to November.
“Today’s verdict does not change the fact that the American people are faced with a simple reality,” Tyler said. “There is still only one way to keep Donald Trump out of the Oval Office: through the ballot box. Convicted felon or not, Trump will be the Republican nominee for president.”
Trump issued a lengthy statement Thursday evening in which he called himself a “very innocent man” and described the trial as “rigged.” He blamed the Biden administration and what he called a “Soros-backed” prosecutor for the verdict, a reference to billionaire George Soros, who is a frequent target of right-wing conspiracy theories and outrage.
“This was a shame. This was a rigged trial by a conflicted judge who was corrupt. It’s a rigged process, a disgrace,” Trump said. “This was a rigged, disgraceful trial.”
