Donald Trump isofficially a convicted felon.
The former president spoke to reporters as he exited the courtroom after a jury found him guilty of 34 felony falsification of business records charges, telling the gathered crowd that “this was a rigged, disgraceful trial. The real verdict is going to be November 5th, by the people.”
“I’m a very innocent man. And it’s okay. I am fighting for our country, I am fighting for our constitution,” he said. “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 is just a disgrace, and we will keep fighting, we will fight to the end and we will win.”
Rolling Stone reported recently that Trump’s team was expecting a guilty and has been readying a fundraising blitz in response. Sure enough, Trump started fundraising off the verdict almost immediately after it was handed down. “I AM A POLITICAL PRISONER!” he wrote along with an ask for donor cash.
His supporters apparently heard his pleas. Soon after the verdict became public, Trump’s donation pages on the Republican fundraising website WinRed crashed due to an overload of user traffic. In a statement provided to The Bulwark, Trump Spokesperson Brian Hughes wrote that ” From just minutes after the verdict, the digital fundraising system has been hit with record numbers of supporters. The traffic is so large that it is causing intermittent delays.”
“The campaign is grateful for this massive outpouring of support because it shows that Americans have seen this sham trial as the political election interference that Biden and Democrats have always intended,” Hughes added.
Earlier this week, as the jury entered deliberations, Trump raged on social media regarding how closing arguments for the trial had unfolded.
“CAN YOU IMAGINE THAT I, AS A DEFENDANT, AM NOT ALLOWED TO REBUT OR CORRECT THE MANY LIES TOLD DURUNG THE 5 HOUR FILIBUSTER JUST PUT ON BY THE SOROS BACKED D.A.’s OFFICE IN THE MANHATTAN COURT,” Trump wrote in one post, referencing the prosecution’s lengthy presentation of closing arguments on Tuesday.
The ranting continued throughout deliberations, with the former president publicly fuming over everything from jury instructions, to accusations that his civil rights were being violated by the court.
“The Jury Instructions given by HIGHLY CONFLICTED Judge, Juan Merchan, were UNFAIR, MISLEADING, INACCURATE, AND UNCONSTITUTIONAL. They were also VERY CONFUSING (Just what the Judge wanted!), BECAUSE THERE WAS NO CRIME!” Trump wrote Thursday, hours before the verdict was delivered.
In another post, Trump declared that his “CIVIL RIGHTS HAVE BEEN TOTALLY VIOLATED WITH THIS HIGHLY POLITICAL, UNCONSTITUTIONAL, AND ELECTION INTERFERING WITCH HUNT. OUR FAILING NATION IS BEING LAUGHED AT ALL OVER THE WORLD!”
