After two days of deliberation, the jury found the former president and current presidential candidate guilty of all 34 felony counts of falsifying business records he was facing.
Since closing arguments wrapped on Tuesday, the nation has been waiting to hear how the jury would come back in the criminal hush money/campaign finance trial of former president and current candidate for the highest office, Donald Trump.
The presumptive Republican nominee for the presidential ticket was facing 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, all of it to do with the $130,000 payout through his then-attorney Michael Cohen to former adult film star Stormy Daniels.
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The hush money payment came amid the 2016 election in an attempt to keep the alleged affair out of the press. As noted by TMZ, that in itself is not a crime. Thus, the prosecution looked at allegations that Trump had falsified business records to cover up the payment.
Throughout the trial, during which the former president did not take the stand in his own defense, his attorney Todd Blanche maintained his innocence. “He did not commit any crimes, and the district attorney has not met their burden of proof — period,” he argued to the jury. “The evidence is all in.”
While Blanche argued in court, Trump did a lot of arguing outside the courtroom, blasting the whole process over and over again on his Truth Social platform.
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He was facing up to four years in prison on each count, with a unanimous decision from the jury necessary to convict. According to TMZ, Trump is facing a maximum of four years in prison, though defendants in these kinds of cases usually wind up with probation.
According to CNBC, Trump had “his arms crossed and a resigned look on his face” after the announcement came at 4:20 p.m. ET that the jury had reached its verdict. He would have to wait a bit longer to hear it, though, as they asked for an addition 30 minutes to fill out the forms.
The jury deliberated for nearly 12 hours across two days before announcing they’d reached a verdict. Trump was the first former U.S. president to be charged with a crime, and now is the first to be convicted. Sentencing is set for 10 a.m. on July 11, just four days before the Republican National Convention.
As expected, social media immediately blew up with news of the verdict, including plenty of celebrity reactions — both positive and negative. They’ve certainly not been shy about their feelings on the former president before this, so they weren’t going to start now!
The Republican candidate for President is a convicted felon.
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) May 30, 2024
@StephenKing
LFG
— KATY PERRY (@katyperry) May 30, 2024
@katyperry
VERDICT REACHED!!! DONALD J TRUMP IS BEING PERSECUTED BY CORRUPT STATE OF NY AND COMPROMISED DOJ!
— Caitlyn Jenner (@Caitlyn_Jenner) May 30, 2024
@Caitlyn_Jenner
#Trump is a convicted felon! So he can run for President, but he can’t even vote for himself! #TeamDl
— DL Hughley (@RealDLHughley) May 30, 2024
@RealDLHughley
And Katie, you have supported me and been there for me through all this. I am sitting in a restaurant by myself crying. https://t.co/O2Jb53OyJR
— Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) May 30, 2024
@kathygriffin
Trump will be sentenced July 11, just 4 days before the Republican National Convention.
— George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) May 30, 2024
@GeorgeTakei
That’s Numberwang!!!!!!!!
— Patton Oswalt (@pattonoswalt) May 30, 2024
@pattonoswalt
George Bush and Dick Cheney have never been tried & are free men…but I’m supposed to believe @realDonaldTrump is the felon?
F&*k off
— Adrianne Curry (@AdrianneCurry) May 30, 2024
@AdrianneCurry
4 More Years just turned into 4 Years in Prison.
Dick Stain is OFFICIALLY off the Table pic.twitter.com/790Qs5LkVl— MichaelRapaport (@MichaelRapaport) May 30, 2024
@MichaelRapaport
GUILTY
GUILTY
GUILTY
GUILTY
GUILTY
GUILTY
GUILTY
GUILTY
GUILTY
GUILTY
GUILTY
GUILTY
GUILTY
GUILTY
GUILTY
GUILTY
GUILTY
GUILTY
GUILTY
GUILTY
GUILTY
GUILTY
GUILTY
GUILTY
GUILTY
GUILTY
GUILTY
GUILTY
GUILTY
GUILTY
GUILTY
GUILTY
GUILTY
GUILTYhttps://t.co/AiWccPxTH6 pic.twitter.com/7tIk7pfsH4— Rolling Stone (@RollingStone) May 30, 2024
@RollingStone
BREAKING: Donald Trump becomes the first actor from Home Alone 2 to be convicted of 34 felonies stemming from hush money payments to a porn star pic.twitter.com/Gou9yoBZgK
— Zack Bornstein (@ZackBornstein) May 30, 2024
@ZackBornstein
Justice Alito has called for upside down American flags to be flown at half mast https://t.co/1Axu84fypc
— The Daily Show (@TheDailyShow) May 30, 2024
@TheDailyShow
They will do everything they can to win.
It’s quite sad.
I’m moving to Mars!
— Elon Musk (Parody) (@ElonMuskAOC) May 30, 2024
@ElonMuskAOC
We should start referring to him as 34 instead of 45.
— George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) May 30, 2024
@GeorgeTakei
Finally the tephlon don has been held accountable! No one is above the law! Of American’s want justice and facts but not Fox News! I believe they are the single reason our democracy is as shaky as it is! They operate on alternate facts! You can’t have a functioning democracy… pic.twitter.com/pTwXEOevYP
— John Leguizamo (@JohnLeguizamo) May 30, 2024
@JohnLeguizamo
Imagine just how guilty you have to be to be unanimously found guilty by 12 people on all counts despite the fact that you are a former president!!! Really proud of our justice system for a change.
Well done!#guilty— Martina Navratilova (@Martina) May 30, 2024
@Martina
This is a great day because justice prevailed; Trump was found guilty on all 34 counts. But a sad day because we have a former president who committed several crimes.
If this had gotten out before the ‘16 election, if they hadn’t paid off Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougall, I…
— Al Franken (@alfranken) May 30, 2024
@alfranken
🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳 pic.twitter.com/P7ZwNdrIBp
— Cynthia Nixon (@CynthiaNixon) May 30, 2024
@CynthiaNixon
In retrospect I’m glad I decided not to drink every time they said Guilty because I’d never have made it through making dinner.
— Ana Gasteyer (@AnaGasteyer) May 30, 2024
@AnaGasteyer
34 is now my favorite number.
— Lynda Carter (@RealLyndaCarter) May 30, 2024
@RealLyndaCarter
.@realDonaldTrump
As my Bubbe used to say…HOW DO YOU LIKE THEM APPLES?
— Ellen Barkin (@EllenBarkin) May 30, 2024
@EllenBarkin
How I Met Your Accountability
— Craig Thomas (@HimymCraig) May 30, 2024
@HimymCraig
Guilty on all counts.
E. Jean Carroll ✅
Stormy Daniels ✅Election interference, espionage and inciting an insurrection coming up.
— Billy Baldwin (@BillyBaldwin) May 30, 2024
@BillyBaldwin
Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.
If Trump becomes a convicted felon and elected officials are still willing to support him, I’m sure they’ll have no problem with him having used the N-word.
— Rob Reiner (@robreiner) May 30, 2024
@robreiner
Former President Donald Trump has been found guilty of all 34 counts he faced.
A cheer has erupted from Collect Pond Park.
— sheryl lee ralph (@thesherylralph) May 30, 2024
@thesherylralph
Guilty on ALLLLLLLLL
— Henry Winkler (@hwinkler4real) May 30, 2024
@hwinkler4real
