Mitch McConnell weighs in hours after verdict
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., weighed in on today's verdict hours after many of his Republican colleagues had already commented, posting on X that he expected the conviction to be overturned.
"These charges never should have been brought in the first place. I expect the conviction to be overturned on appeal," McConnell said.
Guilty but unashamed, Trump says he will see Biden in November
Trump is guilty but not ashamed. The question now is whether he will suffer politically for his crimes.
The first former American president convicted at trial — found guilty today on all 34 counts of scheming to help his 2016 campaign by covering up an alleged sexual encounter — Trump rallied quickly to raise money and votes from the verdict.
He blasted out a fundraising message to donors just minutes after the jury finished its work, and he vowed in the courthouse that “the real verdict is going to be Nov. 5 by the people” when he faces President Joe Biden in a rematch of their 2020 election.
Former House Speaker Pelosi calls today 'somber'
MoveOn sells more than 25K ‘felon’ stickers
The progressive organization MoveOn has sold more than 25,000 stickers labeling Trump as a "felon" in the hours after the verdict was announced.
The sticker features an image of Trump with the word "felon" emblazoned across his eyes. "No one is above the law" is written over his mouth.
More than 10,000 stickers were ordered in under 10 minutes, spokesperson Britt Jacovich said. She said the stickers were sold individually, not in bulk.
Under New York state law, Trump will not be considered a felon until his sentencing, scheduled for July 11.
Pennsylvania voter ‘very happy’ with jury decision to ‘confront somebody so large’
A Pennsylvanian who voted for Biden in 2020 told NBC News she was very excited by the jury’s decision to find Trump guilty on all 34 counts.
“I was just very excited to see that people are still willing to, you know, vote for democracy and be willing to confront somebody so large and in charge, quote unquote,” said Alli Gottschling, of Erie County.
Gottschling said she believes the jury’s decision will affect how some vote in November.
“There are still people so stuck in their belief in him that anything that happens with him, it’ll just be swept under the rug and he’ll continue to power through, sadly,” Gottschling said.
Arizona voters react to Trump's 'witch hunt' rhetoric: 'He's the sorcerer'
Two undecided Arizona voters criticized Trump in reacting to the verdict.
Jamyiah Reed, 21, pushed back against Trump's frequent claims that the trial was a "witch hunt."
"A witch hunt? He’s the sorcerer," Reed said, adding that Trump is "the witch."
Asked for reaction to the verdict, Reed said Trump "is a clown," asking, "What do you expect from a clown?"
Saqueya Hendricks, 21, said that the trial seemed "fair" and that the verdict is "not that shocking."
Country star Jason Aldean posts message of support for Trump
Prominent country artist Jason Aldean posted on Instagram: "Scary times in our country right now" following the Trump verdict.
Aldean has waded into politics in recent years, stoking controversy in 2021 after his wife posted photos of their children in anti-Biden T-shirts.
Last year, his song "Try That in a Small Town" drew controversy for a music video that featured a courthouse where a Black teenager was lynched in 1927. Republicans rallied to his defense as GOP presidential hopefuls played the song at events, and Trump called him “fantastic” in a message promoting the song, which Trump supporters sang outside the courthouse yesterday.
RFK Jr. accuses Democrats of trying to 'beat Trump in the courtroom rather than the ballot box'
Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. took aim at Democrats following the verdict, blaming them for Trump's courtroom woes in a statement on X.
"The Democratic Party’s strategy is to beat President Trump in the courtroom rather than the ballot box. This will backfire in November. Even worse, it is profoundly undemocratic," Kennedy wrote. "America deserves a President who can win at the ballot box without compromising our government’s separation of powers or weaponizing the courts."
Kennedy, who was competing in the Democratic primaries against President Joe Biden before he launched his independent bid, also contrasted his presidential campaign with the actions he attributed to Democrats, saying he preferred to challenge Trump "on his record," including Covid-related lockdowns, the economy, the environment and foreign policy.
Bragg doesn't address possible prison sentence at news conference
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg did not address a hypothetical about possible jail time after Trump was convicted.
“I’m going to let our words in court speak for themselves when we get to the sentencing matter. I’m not going to address hypotheticals,” Bragg said at a news conference.
Bragg had been asked whether he would object to a stay if Trump sought one following a potential prison sentence.
“They raise arguments; we’ll respond,” he said.
“And I think your question really underscores an important point: This is an active ongoing matter,” Bragg said. “We have other phases of this going ahead. We will continue to do our speaking about this matter, about issues like that in court.”
GOP Michigan Senate candidate Justin Amash criticizes verdict
Former Rep. Justin Amash, a former Republican who became an independent during Trump's term in office, criticized the verdict in a post to X, calling it "an affront to the Rule of Law." Amash is running for the Senate in the GOP primary in Michigan.
"This selective and abusive prosecution will further undermine confidence in our Constitution and divide America," he said. "It must not stand."
Amash has criticized Trump, and he voted to impeach him in 2019.