Closing summary
This blog is closing now but you can read all our coverage of the trial here. Here’s a rundown of the key developments:
Trump was found guilty of all 34 counts of falsifying business records in a criminal hush-money scheme to influence the outcome of the 2016 election. The verdict in Manhattan came after a jury deliberated for less than 12 hours.
Trump will be sentenced on 11 July at 10am ET. The sentencing date is just days before the Republican party is scheduled to formally nominate Trump for president ahead of the 5 November election.
Trump is unlikely to be sentenced to prison, experts say. He is a first-time offender, and the crime he has been found guilty of is a non-violent paper crime. Any punishment is likely to consist of fines, probation, community service or some combination of those.
Trump denied wrongdoing, calling the trial a “disgrace”. “This was a rigged trial by a conflicted judge who was corrupt,” Trump said at the courthouse after the verdict was read. “This was a rigged trial, a disgrace.”
His lawyer, Todd Blanche, said Trump would appeal the verdict and complained that his client had not been able to get a fair trial in New York. “Every single person on the jury knew Donald Trump as president, as candidate, from The Apprentice so I don’t accept that this was a fair place to try president Trump,” he said.
Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg said “the only voice that matters is the voice of the jury”. At a news conference after the verdict, Bragg noted that “this defendant might be unlike any other in American history” but that “ultimately today this verdict in the same manner as every other case.”
Michael Cohen, Trump’s former lawyer and who was one of the key prosecution witnesses, said he was “relieved” by the verdict. “Today is an important day for accountability and the rule of law. While it has been a difficult journey for me and my family, the truth always matters,” he said.
The lawyer for Stormy Daniels, the porn star at the centre of the case, said she was “relieved that this case is now over”, in a statement shared by the New York Times. Daniels’ lawyer Clark Brewster said: “She always had great faith in our justice system and in the solemn oath jurors take in undertaking their service. No man is above the law, and the selfless hardworking service of each of these jurors should be respected and appreciated.”
Trump’s conviction set off a political firestorm in Washington. Republicans furiously lambasted the verdict as a miscarriage of justice while Democrats commended New York jurors for rendering a fair judgment in one of the most historic trials in American history.
Joe Biden’s campaign said “no one is above the law”. “There is still only one way to keep Donald Trump out of the Oval Office: at the ballot box,” Michael Tyler, Biden’s communications director said.
Republicans rallied around Trump, reiterating baseless allegations that the Biden administration had engaged in political persecution of the former US president. “Today is a shameful day in American history,” said House speaker Mike Johnson. Congressman Jim Jordan, chair of the House judiciary committee, bemoaned the verdict as “a travesty of justice”.
Some of Trump’s advisers and family members were even more blunt. “Such bullshit,” Donald Trump Jr, the former president’s eldest son, wrote on X.
Crowds gathered outside the Manhattan courthouse erupted into simultaneous applause, cheers and groans. A heavy sense of shock and relief appeared to hang in the air, with many protesters, counterprotestors and onlookers wearing a look of surprise on their faces.
Updated
Michael Cohen has said he was “relieved” by the guilty verdict. In an interview on MSNBC he said, “This has been six years in the making,” adding:
As we like to state, nobody is above the law, and today’s verdict demonstrates that.
He also called Trump’s lawyer Todd Blanche “Sloat” – the “stupidest lawyer of all time” – after Blanche called him “Gloat” – “the greatest liar of all time” – in his closing arguments.
The Trump verdict is dominating headlines around the world, including the New York Times, the paper of record in a city that for years was intertwined with the image of the former president, and is now the site of his conviction.
The front page of The New York Times for Friday, May 31, 2024. https://t.co/DzpU7iBUMe pic.twitter.com/jqluYRWEIs
— The New York Times (@nytimes) May 31, 2024
In an opinion piece, published after the verdict, the paper’s editorial board offered the blunt assessment that “The jury’s decision, and the facts presented at the trial, offer yet another reminder — perhaps the starkest to date — of the many reasons Donald Trump is unfit for office.”
Here’s our roundup of world frontpages:
The Guardian’s Sam Levine has been in court over the last several weeks covering all the developments – here are three testimonies he found most memorable.
New York Senator and Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer has also posted his response to the verdict:
No one is above the law. The verdict speaks for itself.
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) May 31, 2024
Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell, who is said to loathe Trump but who nevertheless supports him, has given a muted response to Trump’s conviction, posting on X:
These charges never should have been brought in the first place. I expect the conviction to be overturned on appeal.
A bit more on the subject of donations for Trump courtesy of Reuters, which reports a “flurry of support” for the former president that suggests he will “retain significant financial firepower against Biden including from Wall Street, tech and the oil sector”. The news agency writes:
On Thursday, mega donors including casino billionaire Miriam Adelson and hotelier Robert Bigelow lined up behind Trump, with their donations set to bolster a wave of pro-Trump ads, door-knocking and phone banking in battleground states.
The verdict also spurred some longtime Trump donors to boost their financial support for Trump - and, in at least one case, make a big donation to him for the first time.
Robert Bigelow, who is one of Trump’s top supporters having already given over $9 million to an outside group supporting him, said criminal proceedings against Trump were a “disgrace.”
“I’m sending President Trump another $5 million as I promised him,” Bigelow told Reuters.
Don Tapia, a former Trump ambassador to Jamaica, said he and a small network of family and friends with whom he donates had planned to give around $250,000 this election to support Trump.
After Thursday’s conviction, Tapia told Reuters the group would aim to give over $1 million to the pro-Trump spending group MAGA Inc in coming weeks.
“We’re going to go all-in for him,” said Tapia. He sent Reuters a photo of an American flag flying upside down outside his home in Paradise Valley, Arizona to protest the verdict.
A Silicon Valley tech investor, Shaun Maguire, posted on social media site X after the verdict that he had donated $300,000 to support Trump.
“I believe our justice system is being weaponized against him,” said Maguire, who described himself as a former Hillary Clinton supporter who switched to supporting Trump in 2021 after the Biden administration’s chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan. Maguire told Reuters he had not previously donated to Trump.
I just donated $300k to President Trump
— Shaun Maguire (@shaunmmaguire) May 30, 2024
The timing isn't a coincidence https://t.co/LDU4nJ8FBx
Ivanka Trump has posted a picture of herself as a child with her father on Instagram with the words “I love you dad”.
Ivanka has distanced herself from politics after her stint in the White House. She testified at the trial, distinguishing herself from her brothers by appearing calm and delivering her testimony “like a swan gliding across a lake” according to the Guardian’s Lauren Aratani.
Trump to appeal guilty verdict, lawyer says
Trump’s lawyer Todd Blanche has told CNN that he will appeal the verdict “as soon as we can”. He said
Every single person on the jury knew Donald Trump as president, as candidate, from The Apprentice so I don’t accept that this was a fair place to try president Trump.
He added:
There was so much publicity around the witnesses and around – leading up to the trial that our system of justice isn’t supposed to be a system where every person who walks into the courtroom knows about the case.
Blanche said they had been “prepared for a conviction” adding that Trump’s legal team would now “vigorously fight” with motions due in a few weeks and if that failed they would appeal after the sentencing in July.
Blanche also said the former president had been keen to take the stand but was dissuaded by his lawyers:
He wanted to get his story out. I think the judge had made some decisions before the trial, the day the trial started, about what would be allowed to be asked of him by the prosecutors if he took the stand and some of those questions were really complicated to answer because they’re still appeals going on … ultimately it’s his decision and he listened to us and relied on our counsel, and he reached the decision that he thought was right, which I very much agreed with.
Updated
The verdict has motivated Trump’s supporters to donate to his presidential campaign, the campaign’s official account has said, so much so that the website crashed.
“So many Americans were moved to donate to President Trump’s campaign that the WinRed pages went down,” the campaign said in a statement on X. The website was back online not long after the initial statement.
Trump began soliciting donations as soon as the verdict was announced, sending an email claiming “I AM A POLITICAL PRISONER”, according to reports, although he has gone home to Trump Tower.
Updated
Trump’s supporters in Congress and the Senate have been tweeting vociferously following the announcement of the verdict. Representative Matt Gaetz of Florida said the verdict was the “corrupt result of a corrupt trial, a corrupt judge, and a corrupt DA”.
His colleague Marjorie Taylor-Greene, who earlier this month tried to oust Speaker Mike Johnson, criticised her fellow Republicans for not doing enough to stop the prosecution:
Republicans have done NOTHING to stop the Democrats from destroying our justice system and our freedoms. Many Republicans would just quote the constitution as they are marched to the firing squad. When good men do nothing, evil prevails.
Another extreme-right colleague, Lauren Boebert, said the verdict was “Communism”.
If this were happening in another country, Biden would be asking Congress to authorize a war to reinstate democracy abroad.
— Lauren Boebert (@laurenboebert) May 30, 2024
Make no mistake, this is Communism.
In the Senate meanwhile, John Cornyn of Texas, who is running to replace Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell when he steps down after the November election, echoed Trump in calling the verdict a “disgrace” and called on the party to rally round Trump.
South Dakota’s John Thune, the No 2 Senate Republican who is also running to be leader, said the case was “politically motivated from the beginning”.
Updated
Speaking after the verdict, Trump called the trial a “disgrace”: “This was a rigged trial by a conflicted judge who was corrupt.” He said the “real verdict” would come on 5 November:
Updated
Independent presidential candidate Robert F Kennedy Jr has accused Democrats of being afraid of losing to Trump at the ballot box and instead going after him via the courts, adding: “This will backfire in November” and “You can’t save democracy by destroying it first.” In a statement posted on X, he continued:
I’m also running against President Trump in this election. The difference is I’m challenging him on his record. His lockdowns during Covid. His atrocious environmental record. His cozy relationship with corporate America. His support for the war machine. His failure to root out waste and corruption in Washington. His service to the billionaire class. His bloating of the national debt.
A day earlier, the long-shot candidate had filed an election complaint alleging CNN is colluding with Joe Biden and Trump to exclude him from a debate the network is hosting next month. Both the Biden and Trump campaigns fear he could play spoiler.
Updated
As reactions to Trump’s conviction continue to roll in, one theme from the Republican side has been retribution.
“Time for Red State AGs and DAs to get busy,” representative Mike Collins of Georgia tweeted, adding later: “Hillary Clinton’s campaign-funded Steele dossier is a good start. The statute of limitations expired but I’m told that’s not a thing anymore.”
Hillary Clinton's campaign-funded Steele dossier is a good start.
— Rep. Mike Collins (@RepMikeCollins) May 31, 2024
The statute of limitations expired but I’m told that’s not a thing anymore. https://t.co/tbgRy4WhXj
Rightwing activist Charlie Kirk tweeted: “How many Republican DAs or AG’s have stones? We aren’t a serious political movement until we are ready to fight fire with fire. Indict the left, or lose America.”
Updated
It’s unlikely to be at the forefront of the former-president’s mind as he reflects on today’s verdict, but after being found guilty of all 34 counts in his hush-money trial, Donald Trump will likely lose the honorific title of “Mr” in the news pages of the UK’s Daily Telegraph.
The Telegraph’s style guide states that “Defendants in criminal court cases … are to be referred to with their honorific Mr, Mrs or Miss: the newspapers and website should share the court’s presumption of innocence”.
“On conviction they lose the honorific, although if cleared on appeal they reclaim it.”
In its front-page story on Friday, it appears that the paper has already applied the rule; the former president is referred to as “Trump” throughout the copy, while his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, is also not afforded an honorific as he was sentenced to prison in 2018 after pleading guilty to campaign-finance charges and lying to Congress.
Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal, the two women Trump was accused of paying hush-money payments to, are referred to with the title “Ms” throughout.
The former president has, however, been spared the same fate in the paper of record in his home town.
In December 1973, the New York Times updated it’s own style guide to say that with “very rare exceptions”, those convicted of a crime will no longer be denied an honorific.
“We will no longer omit the ‘Mr.’ before the names of those who, as the present style states, have been convicted of crime or who have unsavory reputations known without question to be deserved,” the then managing editor of the New York Times, AM Rosenthal, said.
Updated
In a tweet on Thursday evening, New York City mayor Eric Adams said he had NYPD personnel on standby for “any and all circumstances, including large-scale protests”.
“Our criminal justice process must be respected,” he said.
As we await the next steps, New Yorkers should rest assured that the NYPD stands ready to respond to any and all circumstances, including large-scale protests. While peaceful protests and assembly will always be protected, we will not be a city of any form of lawlessness.
— Mayor Eric Adams (@NYCMayor) May 31, 2024
Anti-Trump protesters and Trump supporters alike had gathered outside the criminal courthouse in New York City as the verdict was announced. There have been no reports of large-scale protests or unrest at this time.
Updated
Todd Blanche, the lead lawyer on Trump’s team, sat down with Jesse Watters on Fox News for a post-verdict interview.
The lawyer said he was unhappy with the rulings but that he wasn’t “going to criticize the judge right now”.
"He jokingly said to us a lot [that] he wanted to be the litigator," Blanche says of Trump.
— erica orden (@eorden) May 31, 2024
On a special episode of the Guardian’s Politics Weekly America podcast, columnist Jonathan Freedland speaks to Guardian US reporter Sam Levine about what the verdict means for Trump himself, as well as for the upcoming election.
Listen to the full episode here.
Updated
The New Yorker has published a preview of next week’s issue, the cover featuring a cartoon of Trump extending comically small hands to be placed in handcuffs. The illustration is titled ‘A Man of Conviction’.
An early look at next week’s cover, “A Man of Conviction,” by @cuneo_ink. #NewYorkerCovers https://t.co/qU1FBeQKlv pic.twitter.com/m2l8CGnUKt
— The New Yorker (@NewYorker) May 30, 2024
The drawing was made by cartoonist John Cuneo, who has illustrated a number of Trump-related covers for the magazine.
Updated
Interim summary: Trump found guilty and will be sentenced on 11 July
Donald Trump has become the first president in US history to be convicted of a crime. Here’s a recap of what happened:
Trump has been found guilty of all 34 counts of falsifying business records in a criminal hush-money scheme to influence the outcome of the 2016 election.
The verdict came after a jury deliberated for less than 12 hours. Trump was convicted by a jury of 12 New Yorkers of felony falsification of business records.
Trump will be sentenced on 11 July at 10am ET. The sentencing date is just days before the Republican party is scheduled to formally nominate Trump for president ahead of the 5 November election.
Could Trump go to prison? Here’s what happens next after the guilty verdict.
Trump has denied wrongdoing and is expected to appeal the verdict. “This was a rigged trial by a conflicted judge who was corrupt,” Trump said at the courthouse after the verdict was read. “This was a rigged trial, a disgrace.”
Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg said “the only voice that matters is the voice of the jury”. At a news conference after the verdict, Bragg noted that “this defendant might be unlike any other in American history” but that “ultimately today this verdict in the same manner as every other case.”
Trump’s conviction set off a political firestorm in Washington. Republicans furiously lambasted the verdict as a miscarriage of justice while Democrats commended New York jurors for rendering a fair judgment in one of the most historic trials in American history.
Joe Biden’s campaign said “no one is above the law”. “There is still only one way to keep Donald Trump out of the Oval Office: at the ballot box,” Michael Tyler, Biden’s communications director said.
Republicans rallied around Trump, reiterating their baseless allegations that the Biden administration had engaged in political persecution of the former US president. “Today is a shameful day in American history,” said House speaker Mike Johnson. Congressman Jim Jordan, chair of the House judiciary committee, bemoaned the verdict as “a travesty of justice”.
Some of Trump’s advisers and family members were even more blunt. “Such bullshit,” Donald Trump Jr, the former president’s eldest son, wrote on X.
Crowds gathered outside the Manhattan courthouse erupted into simultaneous applause, cheers and groans. A heavy sense of shock and relief appeared to hang in the air, with many protesters, counterprotestors and onlookers wearing a look of surprise on their faces.
Updated
Stormy Daniels 'relieved that this case is now over'
The lawyer for Stormy Daniels says she is “relieved that this case is now over”, in a statement shared by the New York Times. Daniels’ lawyer Clark Brewster said:
She always had great faith in our justice system and in the solemn oath jurors take in undertaking their service. No man is above the law, and the selfless hardworking service of each of these jurors should be respected and appreciated.
Updated
Cameras have not been allowed inside the courtroom while proceedings have been under way, but a sketch artist captured scenes as the verdict was read out in Donald Trump’s criminal trial.
Updated
Laurie, a woman who had been a regular figure outside the Trump proceedings over the last several weeks, and who declined to give her last name, said:
It’s the right verdict, it’s correct.
I think there was a preponderance of evidence, that was glaring, to convict him … they had witnesses and he didn’t take the stand to refute, they didn’t put him on the stand.
Maybe because he lies all the time and it would be too difficult to rein him in.
Another onlooker, named Karen, was outside across the street from court after the news broke and shared her relief:
This is a sign that there is something salvageable in our version of democracy ... nothing is over, he’ll tie it up in the court systems forever but we’ve got to take our celebrations when we can.
Updated
Just before the verdict came in this afternoon, the Republican Senate candidate for Maryland, Larry Hogan, posted to X defending the US legal process and calling on Americans to “respect the verdict”.
Chris LaCivita, a senior Trump campaign adviser, responded to Hogan, writing: “You just ended your campaign.”
You just ended your campaign https://t.co/LJDuQ4oj0A
— Chris LaCivita (@LaCivitaC) May 30, 2024
Updated
E Jean Carroll, the writer who accused Donald Trump of sexual assault and won nearly $90m in civil judgments against him, responded to the verdict by posting a photo of Stormy Daniels and the caption:
Justice!!
Justice!! pic.twitter.com/rZvjVmjIkN
— E. Jean Carroll (@ejeancarroll) May 30, 2024
Updated
What is Biden’s next move?
Twelve jurors in New York have presented their fellow Americans with a simple question: are you willing to elect a convicted criminal to the White House?
On Thursday, Donald Trump was convicted of all 34 counts of falsifying business records in his hush-money trial, a verdict making him the first former president to be found guilty of felony crimes in America’s near 250-year history.
It was a historic moment in which the US joined other democracies in showing the world it is willing to hold its political leaders to account.
It also represents an earthquake in a presidential election where poll after poll shows Trump to be the marginal favourite over incumbent Joe Biden, despite the president’s efforts to move the needle. If this doesn’t do it, perhaps nothing will.
Sentencing was set for 11 July, just days before the Republican national convention in Milwaukee, where Trump would become the first convicted criminal to be anointed a party presidential nominee. A time traveller visiting from the year 2014 would be staggered.
Yet the one question that transfixed Washington throughout the seven weeks of the often tawdry trial has been: historians care, journalists care and late-night comedians definitely care, but will it matter to voters?
Read the full analysis by the Guardian’s Washington DC bureau chief, David Smith, here.
Updated
Trump to hold press conference tomorrow morning
Donald Trump has posted to his Truth Social site that he will hold a news conference at the Trump Tower at 11am ET tomorrow.
Democrats were more muted in their response to the verdict, framing the jurors’ decision as a reflection of the strength of the US justice system.
Michael Tyler, the Biden campaign communications director, said:
In New York today, we saw that no one is above the law. Donald Trump has always mistakenly believed he would never face consequences for breaking the law for his own personal gain.
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, the Democratic chair of the Senate judiciary courts subcommittee, argued the verdict confirmed that Trump was “not fit to lead the greatest nation in the world”.
It’s only in honest courtrooms that the former president has been unable to lie and bully his way out of trouble. Americans trust juries for good reason.
Senator Chris Coons, a Democratic member of the Senate judiciary committee, added:
I commend the jurors for their service and urge all Americans, no matter their party affiliation, to accept and respect the outcome of this trial.
Updated
Donald Trump’s conviction on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records set off a political firestorm in Washington on Thursday, with Republicans furiously lambasting the verdict as a miscarriage of justice while Democrats commended New York jurors for rendering a fair judgment in one of the most historic trials in American history.
Republicans unsurprisingly rallied around Trump, reiterating their baseless allegations that the Biden administration had engaged in political persecution of the former US president.
“Today is a shameful day in American history,” said Mike Johnson, the Republican House speaker. Congressman Jim Jordan, the pugnacious rightwing Republican chair of the House judiciary committee, similarly bemoaned the verdict as “a travesty of justice”. Some of Trump’s advisers and family members were even more blunt in their assessment of the verdict. “Such bullshit,” Donald Trump Jr, the former president’s eldest son, wrote on X.
A number of Trump’s allies predicted the conviction would be reversed on appeal and would only mobilize Republican voters in the election, while at least one lawmaker suggested the verdict would set a dangerous precedent.
Updated
Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg is asked if his office would object to staying Donald Trump’s sentence pending appeal, if Trump’s lawyers asked.
Bragg responds:
I’m going to let our words in court speak for themselves ... they’ll raise arguments, we’ll respond.
Updated
Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg says prosecutor Joshua Steinglass has “done his job” and expresses his “enormous gratitude”.
“We have a phenomenal system,” Bragg says.
Twelve everyday New Yorkers listen to the judge’s directions. They followed the evidence ... They were careful and attentive. And so I feel deep gratitude to work alongside them, to be a part of this system, and I just want to echo, this is what we’re doing every single day.
Updated
Bragg defends changing decision on prosecuting Trump: 'I did my job'
Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg is asked for his response to criticism about his decision not to prosecute Donald Trump, and then deciding to.
Bragg says “I did my job”, adding that his job is to “follow the facts and the law without fear or favor....I did my job, we did our job.”
There are many voices out there, he said, but “the only voice that matters is the voice of the jury”.
Updated
Bragg doesn't say whether he will request prison sentence for Trump
Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg is asked if he will request a prison sentence for Donald Trump.
Bragg says the judge has scheduled a sentencing for 11 July, and that he will speak in court at that time.
Updated
Bragg says defendant 'unlike any other in American history'
Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg says “12 everyday jurors” vowed to make a decision based on “the evidence and the law alone”.
Their deliberations led them to a unanimous conclusion beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant Donald J Trump is guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree to conceal a scheme to corrupt the 2016 election.
He adds:
While this defendant might be unlike any other in American history, we arrived at this trial and ultimately today this verdict in the same manner as every other case ...
Bragg says he wants to express “deep gratitude” to the NYPD and all those involved in securing the courthouse, ensuring everyone’s safety and making sure the trial continued seamlessly.
Updated
Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg thanks the “phenomenal” prosecution team who he says “embodies the finest traditions” of the office.
They are model public servants and I am proud and humbled to serve side-by-side with them.
Bragg thanks jurors for doing 'fundamental civic duty'
Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg begins the news conference by thanking the jury for its service.
Jurors perform a “fundamental civic duty” and their service is “literally the cornerstone of our judicial system”, he says.
“We should all be thankful” for the “careful attention” that the jury paid over the past several weeks, he says, noting that they reviewed call logs, text messages and emails, heard recordings, and saw checks and invoices, bank statements and calendar appointments.
This type of white-collar prosecution is core to what we do at the Manhattan district attorney’s office.
Updated
Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg holds news conference
Alvin Bragg, the Manhattan district attorney, is holding a news conference to discuss the verdict.
Bragg is standing behind a lectern flanked by the prosecution team and other prosecutors in his office.
Bragg starts off by thanking the jurors.
Donald Trump was pictured waving to the crowds and with a raised fist as he returned to Trump Tower after being found guilty of all 34 counts of falsifying business records in a criminal hush-money scheme to influence the outcome of the 2016 election.
Updated
Shares in the owner of Donald Trump’s Truth Social platform, Trump Media & Technology Group, slumped after the verdict was announced.
The shares, which trade under the symbol “DJT”, fell about 8% in after-hours trading as news of the verdict emerged, AP reported.
Updated
Trump family reacts to verdict
Donald Trump’s children have been posting their reactions to the guilty verdict on social media.
Donald Trump Jr, the former president’s eldest child, said the Democrats had “succeeded in their years long attempt to turn America into a third-world shithole”, adding in a later post that “they’re not even trying to hide the ELECTION INTERFERENCE!!!!”
Guilty on all counts. The Democrats have succeeded in their years long attempt to turn America into a third-world shithole. November 5 is our last chance to save it.
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) May 30, 2024
Eric Trump, Trump’s third child, who has regularly attended his father’s trial, said today “might be remembered as the day Donald J. Trump won the 2024 Presidential Election”.
May 30th, 2024 might be remembered as the day Donald J. Trump won the 2024 Presidential Election.
— Eric Trump (@EricTrump) May 30, 2024
Lara Trump, Eric Trump’s wife and co-chair of the Republican National Committee, posted a photo of her father-in-law with a quote reading:
They’re not coming after me, they’re coming after you, I’m just in the way.
“They’re not coming after me, they’re coming after you, I’m just in the way.” — Donald J. Trump https://t.co/VtCuAjOsni
— Lara Trump (@LaraLeaTrump) May 30, 2024
Updated
Here’s the full statement from Donald Trump as he spoke to reporters at the Manhattan courthouse after he was convicted of 34 felony counts:
This was a disgrace. This was a rigged trial by a conflicted judge who was corrupt. It’s a rigged trial, a disgrace. They wouldn’t give us a venue change. We were at 5% or 6% in this district, in this area. This was a rigged, disgraceful trial.
The real verdict is going to be November 5th by the people. And they know what happened here, and everybody knows what happened here. You have a Soros-backed DA, and the whole thing, we didn’t do a thing wrong.
I’m a very innocent man, and it’s OK, I’m fighting for our country. I’m fighting for our constitution. Our whole country is being rigged right now.
This was done by the Biden administration in order to wound or hurt an opponent, a political opponent. And I think it’s just a disgrace. And we’ll keep fighting. We’ll fight till the end, and we’ll win because our country has gone to hell.
We don’t have the same country anymore. We have a divided mess. We’re a nation in decline, serious decline, millions and millions of people pouring into our country right now from prisons and from mental institutions, terrorists, and they’re taking over our country. We have a country that’s in big trouble.
But this was a rigged decision right from day one. With a conflicted judge who should have never been allowed to try this case. Never. And we will fight for our constitution. This is long from over. Thank you very much.
"This was a disgrace. This was a rigged trial."
— The Recount (@therecount) May 30, 2024
— Donald Trump reacts and condemns his conviction on all 34 counts in his New York hush money criminal trial. pic.twitter.com/93c1TE31MA
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Vivek Ramaswamy, the former Republican presidential candidate, has claimed Donald Trump is “suffering criminal injustice at the highest level” and said today’s verdict will send Black voters to “flock to Trump in droves”.
Trump led criminal justice reform. Now he’s suffering criminal *injustice* at the highest level. One of surprising effects of this sham verdict: more black voters will flock to Trump in droves & for good reason. I didn’t think the Democrat Party would be so dumb, but here we are.
— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) May 30, 2024
Updated
Marjorie Taylor Greene, the Georgia far-right US representative, posted an image of an upside down American flag, a symbol associated with Donald Trump’s false claims of election fraud and the January 6 insurrection.
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) May 30, 2024
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'The truth always matters': Michael Cohen reacts to verdict
Michael Cohen, in a statement responding to the verdict reported by multiple outlets, said:
Today is an important day for accountability and the rule of law. While it has been a difficult journey for me and my family, the truth always matters.
He thanked his attorneys, Danya Perry and Joshua Kolb, “for their invaluable guidance and support”.
Cohen, of course, is Donald Trump’s former lawyer and fixer who became the prosecution’s star witness. Cohen was at the center of the criminal case as the man who set up the deal to pay Stormy Daniels $130,000 shortly before the 2016 presidential election to keep her from speaking out about an alleged affair she had with Trump.
Updated
Republican lawmakers seen widely as possible vice-presidential running mates to Donald Trump have released statements following the verdict.
JD Vance, the Ohio senator, said the verdict is “a disgrace to the rule of law and our Constitution”.
This decision is a disgrace to the rule of law and our Constitution.
— J.D. Vance (@JDVance1) May 30, 2024
Dems invented a felony to "get Trump," with the help of a Soros funded prosecutor and a Biden donor Judge, who rigged the entire case to get this outcome.
This isn't justice, it's election interference.
Elise Stefanik, chair of the House Republican conference, said she fully supports Trump appealing the verdict in the trial, which she described as a “zombie case illegally brought forward by a corrupt prosecutor doing Joe Biden’s political bidding”. She said:
Today’s verdict shows how corrupt, rigged, and unAmerican the weaponized justice system has become under Joe Biden and Democrats. I fully support President Trump appealing this decision and look forward to a higher New York Court to deliver justice and overturn this verdict
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Nearby, a verbal altercation broke out between a protester wearing a Trump 2024 flag and a protester holding a sign that read: “Trans people are good people.”
The latter yelled: “We need work! We need food! We need to pay rent!” In response, the Trump supporter shouted: “You’re a socialist, that’s why! Get a fucking job!” A flurry of shouts of “Fuck you” were then swiftly exchanged as reporters and onlookers clamored around them.
Meanwhile, a man wearing a light-blue shirt and a hat that said “#1 Fan” groaned loudly as he looked up at the sky. “Oh god, I’m going to vomit,” he said exasperatedly. He then put his hands on his knees and bent forward while holding a sign that read “Free Father Teresa”, an apparent reference to Trump likening himself to Mother Teresa earlier this week. As the man heaved, nothing came up.
Shortly after collecting himself, the man, who identified himself as James, stood up and went to join another Trump supporter wearing a Maga hat. Together, they yelled at a crowd of reporters, saying: “He’s a native New Yorker. Don’t forget that. I’m a native New Yorker!”
One reporter said: “He’s a convicted felon!” In response, the man in the light-blue shirt shook his head forcefully, saying: “Not really, not really. It doesn’t count!”
The other Trump supporter chimed in, saying: “There’s a lot of bullshit that happened here.”
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Shortly after 5pm, a crowd of several hundred people outside 100 Centre Street erupted into simultaneous applause, cheers and groans.
Above the park across from the courthouse, a helicopter hovered loudly. Print and broadcast reporters rushed to get into position, their cameras and mics poised in the air. Donald Trump had been found guilty of all 34 counts of fraud.
A heavy sense of shock and relief appeared to hang in the air, with many protesters, counter-protesters and onlookers wearing a look of surprise.
Some wore red Maga hats. One man waved a sign that read “Guilty” in big, bold letters. In his hand was also an American flag. The man, who identified himself as Bill Christeson, told reporters:
We got him ... Hopefully this will be the beginning of the end of this grifter ... This is the beginning of the end, folks.
Another man waved a yellow sign that read: “God, strike Trump dead. Judge, free him.” Speaking to reporters, the man, who wore an orange mask and a red Maga hat, said:
New York is a machine state. New York City is a machine city ... There’s not a lot of sense in New York City.
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A spokesperson from the White House counsel’s office has said:
We respect the rule of law, and have no additional comment.
Donald Trump’s motorcade has left Manhattan criminal court after his conviction in his criminal trial.
Trump will be sentenced on 11 July. He will remain released on his own recognizance, judge Juan Merchan said.
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Here are some more reactions from Republican lawmakers to the news that their presumptive presidential nominee has been found guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records in a criminal hush-money scheme to influence the outcome of the 2016 election.
House majority leader Steve Scalise said today’s verdict “is nothing more than an attempt to interfere with the 2024 election”.
Extremist Democrats have undermined democracy by weaponizing the courts to operate like a banana republic that targets their political opponents.
— Steve Scalise (@SteveScalise) May 30, 2024
Today’s verdict is a defeat for Americans who believe in the critical legal tenet that justice is blind. It was clear from the start…
Jim Jordan, the chair of the House judiciary committee, said the verdict is a “travesty of justice”.
The verdict is a travesty of justice.
— Rep. Jim Jordan (@Jim_Jordan) May 30, 2024
The Manhattan kangaroo court shows what happens when our justice system is weaponized by partisan prosecutors in front of a biased judge with an unfair process, designed to keep President Trump off the campaign trail and avoid bringing…
Lindsey Graham, the Republican senator from South Carolina, said he expected the case to be reversed on appeal. “The outcome of this case should surprise no one,” he said.
This verdict says more about the system than the allegations. It will be seen as politically motivated and unfair, and it will backfire tremendously on the political Left.
The Manhattan legal system has become a joke in every sense of the word. This is a mockery of justice. I fear we have opened up Pandora’s box on the presidency itself.
The outcome of this case should surprise no one.
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) May 30, 2024
➡️A political hack prosecutor manufactured charges in one of the most liberal legal venues in the country.
➡️An obnoxious and biased judge who should have been disqualified conducted a trial in a way to ensure Donald Trump's…
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Is Trump going to jail?
A Manhattan jury has convicted Donald Trump on all 34 counts of falsifying business records in the hush-money case. The immediate next question is: what punishment should the former US president receive?
It’s a decision that rests entirely with Juan Merchan, the judge overseeing the case. The crimes Trump has been found guilty of, falsifying business records in the first degree, are class E felonies in New York, the least serious category, and punishable by up to four years in prison. His sentencing is set for 11 July.
But Trump is unlikely to be sentenced to prison, experts say. He is a first-time offender, and the crime he has been found guilty of is a non-violent paper crime.
“I think the judge would probably not incarcerate him under those circumstances alone,” said Cheryl Bader, a law professor at Fordham University who called any sentence of incarceration “unlikely”.
But also given that he is a former president, has a Secret Service detail and is also the presumptive Republican nominee, I think a term of incarceration would be logistically very difficult, but also would have political implications that I think Judge Merchan would want to avoid.
Any punishment is likely to consist of fines, probation, community service or some combination of those. Karen Friedman Agnifilo, a former top prosecutor in the Manhattan district attorney’s office, said:
I would like to see community service – picking up trash on the subway.
Much could depend on how Merchan interprets Trump’s conduct, including any lack of remorse. “I can’t imagine we will see a remorseful, apologetic Trump if it comes time for sentencing,” Bader said.
Judges also consider the harm caused. On one hand, Judge Merchan could view this as a technical recording violation to cover up tawdry conduct, causing only minimal harm. On the other hand, he could view Trump’s conduct as inflicting deep harm on the entire country by depriving the voting public of their right to cast an informed vote in the highest-ranking national election.
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Joe Biden has responded to the verdict by focusing the attention on the November election, saying that “there’s only one way to keep Donald Trump out of the Oval Office: At the ballot box”.
There’s only one way to keep Donald Trump out of the Oval Office: At the ballot box.
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) May 30, 2024
Donate to our campaign today: https://t.co/aJXS9oti0a
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Here are some pictures of the scenes outside the Manhattan criminal courtroom where Donald Trump has been found guilty of all 34 counts of falsifying business records in a criminal hush-money scheme to influence the outcome of the 2016 election.
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Trump claims to be a 'political prisoner' as he fundraises off verdict
Donald Trump’s campaign was quick to fundraise off the back of the guilty verdict, sending out an email to supporters within minutes of the news.
The email headline reads:
BREAKING FROM TRUMP: I AM A POLITICAL PRISONER!
It goes on to ask the recipient whether “this is the end of America?” before saying that Trump had been convicted “in a RIGGED political Witch Hunt trial: I DID NOTHING WRONG!”
The fundraising email continues:
They’ve raided my home, arrested me, took my mugshot, AND NOW THEY’VE JUST CONVICTED ME!
But with your support at this moment in history, WE WILL WIN BACK THE WHITE HOUSE AND MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!
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Dozens of reporters are lined up outside the courthouse as protesters gather in the park across 100 Centre Street.
“Fuck Trump!” some yell, while others hold up signs that read “Trump I don’t trust you” and “Trans people are good people”.
A helicopter hovers overhead as a crowd of press, protesters and onlookers crowd around 100 Centre Street. The atmosphere is buzzing with excitement, frustration, near tears and shock.
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House speaker Mike Johnson says a 'shameful day in American history'
Mike Johnson, the Republican speaker of the House, has also responded to the verdict, describing it as a “shameful day in American history”.
Johnson’s full statement reads:
Today is a shameful day in American history. Democrats cheered as they convicted the leader of the opposing party on ridiculous charges, predicated on the testimony of a disbarred, convicted felon. 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 the decision today is further evidence that Democrats will stop at nothing to silence dissent and crush their political opponents.
The American people rightfully see this is lawfare, and they know it is—and dangerous. President Trump will rightfully appeal this absurd verdict—and he WILL WIN.
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Biden-Harris campaign: 'No one is above the law'
The Biden-Harris campaign has said that the verdict shows that “no one is above the law”.
A statement from the campaign reads:
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.
The threat Trump poses to our democracy has never been greater. He is running an increasingly unhinged campaign of revenge and retribution, pledging to be a dictator ‘on day one’ and calling for our Constitution to be ‘terminated’ so he can regain and keep power. A second Trump term means chaos, ripping away Americans’ freedoms and fomenting political violence – and the American people will reject it this November.
Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg, who was in the courtroom to hear the jury deliver its verdict, has posted on X:
Today, a jury found Donald J. Trump GUILTY on ALL 34 felony counts.
— Alvin Bragg (@ManhattanDA) May 30, 2024
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'The real verdict is going to be November 5': Trump rails against 'rigged' trial
Donald Trump, speaking to the cameras as he left the courtroom, said the “real verdict is going to be November 5 by the people”, referring to the presidential election.
This was a rigged, disgraceful trial. The real verdict is going to be November 5, by the people. They know what happened here, and everybody knows what happened here.
The convicted former US president said he is a “very innocent” man who is “fighting for our country” and “fighting for our constitution”.
“Our whole country is being rigged right now,” Trump claimed, blaming the verdict on the Biden administration who he said wanted to “wound or hurt a political opponent”.
We’ll keep fighting. We’ll fight till the end, and we’ll win because our country’s gone to hell.
“This is long from over,” he concluded before leaving.
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Trump says 'I'm a very innocent man' after guilty verdict
Donald Trump has been speaking to reporters after the jury found him guilty on all 34 counts.
“This was a disgrace,” the former president said.
This was a rigged trial by a conflicted judge who was corrupt. It’s a rigged trial, a disgrace.
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Sentencing date set for 11 July
Judge Juan Merchan has set sentencing for 11 July at 10am ET.
Trump lawyer Todd Blanche had asked Merchan for sentencing to be set for mid- or late July, because his lawyers now have to pivot to pre-trial hearings in Donald Trump’s other criminal case, the classified documents case in Florida.
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Donald Trump Jr has responded to the verdict that found his father guilty on all 34 counts he faced:
Such bullshit.
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) May 30, 2024
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Jury deliberated for less than 12 hours before reaching verdict
Donald Trump has been found guilty of using a criminal hush-money scheme to influence the outcome of the 2016 election.
The verdict came after a jury deliberated for less than 12 hours in the unprecedented first criminal trial against a US president.
Trump was convicted by a jury of 12 New Yorkers of felony falsification of business records, which makes it a crime for a person to make or cause false entries in records with the intent to commit a second crime.
In Trump’s case, the Manhattan district attorney’s office alleged Trump falsely recorded the reimbursements he made to his former lawyer Michael Cohen, who paid the adult film star Stormy Daniels $130,000 for her silence about her affair with Trump, as “legal expenses”. The prosecution alleged the falsifications were made to conceal Trump’s violation of New York state election law, which makes it a crime to promote the election of any person to office through unlawful means.
Prosecutors argued in part that those unlawful means were the $130,000 payment to Daniels, which was in effect an illegal campaign contribution, because it was done solely for the benefit of his 2016 campaign and exceeded the $2,700 individual contribution cap.
It marks a perilous political moment for Trump, the presumptive nominee for the Republican nomination, whose poll numbers have remained unchanged throughout the trial but could tank at any moment.
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Trump has deep frown as jury finds him guilty
Donald Trump has a deep frown on his face as the jury finds him guilty on all 34 counts of felony falsification of business records.
Trump lead lawyer Todd Blanche is looking away from his client with his left hand to his temple.
Trump lawyer Emil Bove looks resigned.
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Donald Trump found guilty on all 34 counts
The jury has found Donald Trump guilty on all 34 counts of falsifying business records.
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Count 1: guilty
The jury has found Donald Trump guilty of count 1.
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Judge Juan Merchan says:
First, we received a note from you. It was signed by the jury foreperson at 4.20 and it’s been marked as court exhibit No 7 and it says: ‘We the jury have a verdict. We would like an extra 30 minutes to fill out forms. Is that possible?’
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Jury entering courtroom
The jury is entering the courtroom.
My colleague Hugo Lowell, who is in the New York courthouse, writes that Donald Trump isn’t looking quite as jovial as he was earlier this afternoon.
TRUMP is not looking quite as jovial as he was 30mins ago, when Judge Merchan said he expected to let the jury go home for the day. Trump’s lead lawyer Todd Blanche is still talking to him, but Trump is sat with his brow furrowed and a frown on his face
— Hugo Lowell (@hugolowell) May 30, 2024
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Judge Merchan is on the bench
Judge Juan Merchan has re-entered the courtroom. He’s re-reading the note:
We the jury have reached a verdict. We would like an extra 30 minutes to fill out the forms. Would that be possible?
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When judge Juan Merchan entered the courtroom just before 4.30pm ET, most of those present thought that proceedings had wrapped for the day.
Indeed, about a half-hour prior, Merchan entered the courtroom and told both the prosecution and defense that he was going to send the jury home at 4.30pm.
When he returned at about 4.37pm, there was news.
The court had received a note from the jury, which read: “WE THE JURY HAVE A VERDICT.”
When Merchan read the note aloud, the gallery collectively gasped.
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Donald Trump was pictured returning to the courtroom this afternoon before judge Juan Merchan read out the jury’s note.
Per the pool report, Trump was asked whether he was nervous about the verdict. He replied:
I want to campaign.
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Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg has entered the courtroom.
Before the jury began deliberations late Wednesday morning, judge Juan Merchan delivered instructions intended to guide them on how to weigh the case.
Merchan said that jurors shouldn’t look to his comments during the trial as suggesting that Donald Trump was innocent or guilty. He said:
It is not my responsibility to judge the evidence here. You are the judgers of the facts.
Merchan also told jurors that they should not consider Trump possibly winding up in jail when rendering their verdict. He said:
You may not speculate with matters related to sentencing or punishment.
The judge remarked that it’s “my responsibility” to determine a possible sentence – not jurors.
Who is judge Juan Merchan?
When a verdict comes down in Donald Trump’s criminal hush-money trial, all eyes will be on the Manhattan judge Juan Merchan, who has presided over the historic case.
After all, Trump has been the first US president, former or present, to face a criminal trial. And before Trump faced a jury in this case, Merchan oversaw other proceedings directly tied to the presumptive GOP presidential candidate.
Those cases included the tax-fraud trial against the Trump Organization and proceedings against the former company CFO Allen Weisselberg. Merchan also will preside over the case against Steve Bannon over allegations that the far-right Trump strategist cheated thousands who donated to build sections of a US-Mexico border wall, scheduled for trial in September.
Merchan, who was born in Bogotá, Colombia, and immigrated to the US at age six, grew up in the New York City borough of Queens. The first in his family to attend college, he started working at nine and held a variety of jobs, such as hotel night manager, during his studies, according to the New York Times.
Merchan’s past high-profile cases have included proceedings against the “soccer-mom madam” Anna Gristina. He also presides over Manhattan Mental Health Court, where participating defendants agree to undergo closely tracked treatment with the goal of having their cases dismissed, avoiding future encounters with the justice system and finding their footing, the Associated Press said.
Read the full profile: Who is Juan Merchan, the judge in Trump’s criminal hush-money trial?
Jury asks for extra time to fill out verdict forms
Judge Juan Merchan, reading out a note signed at 4.20pm ET, said the jury had reached a verdict.
The jury asked for an additional 30 minutes to fill out verdict forms, Merchan said.
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If guilty, what would Trump's punishment be?
If a Manhattan jury convicts Donald Trump on any of the 34 counts of falsifying business records in the hush-money case, the immediate next question will be what punishment the former president should receive.
It’s a decision that rests entirely with Juan Merchan, the judge overseeing the case. The crime Trump is charged with, falsifying business records in the first degree, is a class E felony in New York, the least serious category, and punishable by up to four years in prison.
But Trump is unlikely to be sentenced to prison if he is convicted, experts say. He is a first-time offender, and the crime he is charged with is a non-violent paper crime. Any punishment is likely to consist of fines, probation, community service or some combination of those.
Much could depend on how Merchan interprets Trump’s conduct, including any lack of remorse.
The jury won’t have the option of convicting Trump of a misdemeanor – of falsifying business records but not in service of another underlying crime. Trump’s attorneys could have asked Merchan to give the jury that option, but they did not do so.
Both the prosecutors and Trump’s lawyers will submit recommendations for sentencing. So too will the probation office, which will put together a confidential pre-sentencing report for the judge. It’s not clear exactly how long it would take for Merchan to issue a sentence, but it would likely take several months.
Jury reaches verdict in Trump hush-money trial
Hello, and welcome to the Guardian’s coverage of Donald Trump’s historic criminal hush-money trial.
A jury of 12 people living in Manhattan – seven men and five women – have completed deliberations and reached a verdict in the first criminal case against a former US president.
Trump faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, charges punishable by up to four years in prison. Here are the full details of what the 34 counts are, according to the Manhattan district attorney’s office.
If Trump is found guilty, the presumptive GOP presidential candidate faces the prospect of jail – albeit unlikely – when he’s sentenced. He has pleaded not guilty and denied wrongdoing.
Trump also faces three other criminal cases: one for trying to influence the 2020 election in Georgia, another for his conduct around the January 6 Capitol attack, and a third involving his treatment of sensitive documents after he left the White House. These other three cases have been pushed back and it’s unlikely that any would conclude before the November election.
Trump’s criminal hush-money trial: what to know
A ‘catch-and-kill’ scheme and Trump’s pyjamas: key trial moments
Who is Juan Merchan, the judge in Trump’s criminal trial?
We are at the courthouse today and will bring you the verdicts as they come in. Stay with us.
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