Where things stand after the hush money verdict
- Former President Donald Trump was found guilty today on all 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in connection with a hush money payment to adult film actor Stormy Daniels near the end of the 2016 presidential campaign.
- The verdict came on the 12-person jury's second day of deliberations.
- Reactions poured in following the verdict, with potential Trump running mates criticizing the decision and directing followers to donation links. Democrats said the verdict showed Trump was unfit to serve.
- Sentencing has been scheduled for July 11. Trump could face a fine, probation or up to four years in prison.
Coverage of this event has ended. Get the latest news and live updates on developments after the verdict in Trump's hush money trial here.
Hillary Clinton pokes fun after Trump verdict
Hillary Clinton, the 2016 Democratic nominee who lost to Trump, indirectly referred to the verdict tonight when she presented an award at a festival at the Kennedy Center in Washington.
"Anything going on today?" she said with a slight smile to the audience, which applauded. "Well, I have to tell you, there’s nowhere I’d rather be than right here.”
Earlier today, she posted on Instagram about new merchandise she will sell, saying that "the design happened to be finalized today."
The design showed an image of Clinton drinking from a mug alongside the words "Turns out she was right about everything." The picture was emblazoned on a mug.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer: 'No one is above the law'
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., reacted to the jury's verdict in a brief post to X.
"No one is above the law," he said. "The verdict speaks for itself."
NBC’s Tom Llamas speaks with former Michael Cohen attorney Lanny Davis, former Trump lawyer and criminal defense attorney Michael van der Veen, and former Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Adam Kaufmann about some of the challenges of legally defending former President Trump and how the trial played out.
Trump lawyer Todd Blanche: 'As soon as we can appeal, we will'
In a CNN interview, Trump attorney Todd Blanche said the jury looked past what his team thought were "fatal flaws" with Cohen's testimony.
Blanche also said he does not accept that the trial venue was a fair place to try Trump. He also said the timing of the trial was unfair.
"As soon as we can appeal, we will," he said.
He expressed similar sentiments during a Fox News interview, saying he did not believe Trump received a fair trial.
"We’ve been saying for over a year that we couldn’t get a fair trial in Manhattan, we couldn’t get a fair trial with the judge, and it played out exactly as we expected," Blanche said on Fox.
Asked on CNN why Trump did not take the stand, Blanche said, "Of course he wanted to testify," but he emphasized that it was a difficult decision.
"He wanted to get his story out," Blanche said.
In the CNN interview, Blanche explained what it was like to work with Trump, saying the past several weeks were "everything" he would "expect and want" out of a client.
Asked who was in charge of the defense strategy, him or Trump, Blanche said it was both of them. Asked whether his job was made more difficult by Trump's attacking the judge and the case, Blanche said he did not look at it that way, noting that Trump "has to explain to the American people" why the case was unjust.
Blanche responded "yes" when he was asked whether he expects to continue representing Trump in other cases.
Trump arrives back at Trump Tower after fundraiser
Trump arrived at Trump Tower at about 9:25 p.m. He waved to a crowd and then walked into the building.
Trump attended a fundraiser earlier tonight, according to a source familiar with the matter.
Ivanka Trump posts old photo with her father alongside 'I love you' message
Ivanka Trump, the former president's daughter, shared what appeared to be an old photograph that featured her as a young child posing with her father, whose arms are wrapped around her.
"I love you dad," she wrote in bold white text across the image on Instagram.
Some of Trump's other children commented earlier on today's verdict.
While Ivanka Trump was a White House adviser during her father’s administration, she has adopted a lower profile since he left the White House, skipping his 2024 campaign launch and saying she was stepping away from politics.
Michael Cohen: 'Donald needed to be held accountable'
In a wide-ranging interview after the verdict, key prosecution witness Michael Cohen recalled doing damage control when the Stormy Daniels story broke.
He told MSNBC that the trial ultimately demonstrated that other witnesses and evidence corroborated what he had said for years. He said this case was important and relevant, adding that "Donald needed to be held accountable" just as he himself was held accountable.
Cohen said that during prep sessions, he was coached not to "quibble" over questions but to "own it" if he did something.
Asked about testimony in which he described talking with Trump during a short phone call, Cohen said he never changed his testimony. Asked about Daniels, Cohen said that she was "unflappable" and that she was "much smarter than they are," referring to the defense team.
Sen. Dick Durbin says verdict is a reminder that Trump is 'unfit for public service'
Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., who chairs the Judiciary Committee, said in a statement tonight that Trump's guilty verdict underscored that he is "unfit for public service."
“As I’ve said all along: no one is above the law—not even a former president. Consistent with the rule of law, a jury of his peers found the former president guilty on all counts," Durbin said.
"Today’s verdict is another reminder that Donald Trump is unfit for public service. Now, it is up to the American people to decide if he is worthy of the seat behind the Resolute desk in the Oval Office," he continued.
Trump’s potential running mates pile on judge and jury after guilty verdict
Twelve jurors took more than nine hours to convict Trump on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.
A handful of Trump’s prospective running mates took less than nine minutes to condemn the verdict.
The string of “guilty” readings began at 5:06 p.m. today in Judge Juan Merchan’s New York courtroom. By 5:12, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem was rushing to Trump’s defense online.
Georgia voter asks: 'Why would you allow someone who's done these things to run for office?'
A 25-year-old Gwinnett County resident who said he backed Biden in 2020 but has no plans to support Biden or Trump in November, said today's verdict didn't affect his opinion that Trump will win in November.
"I don’t see him losing regardless of the verdict," said Noah F., who declined to provide his last name. "I think he will win."
But he also questioned why Trump is allowed to run after having been convicted.
"From what I’ve heard of what he’s done, why are you running for office? Better question, why would you allow someone who’s done these things to run for office?"
No part of the Constitution says people who have been convicted of crimes can’t run for president.