Trump vows to appeal felony convictions
Former U.S. President Donald Trump has vowed to appeal his guilty verdict, a day after a jury of New York citizens convicted him of all 34 felony counts related to his attempt to illegally influence the outcome of the 2016 national election.
“It was a rigged trial,” exclaimed the former president, who spoke to a small group of reporters and supporters Friday inside his midtown Manhattan Trump Tower.
Trump, for 33 minutes, delivered an unscripted and rambling list of grievances about the case, the country and President Joe Biden. Trump claimed — without evidence — that the judge in his case was corrupt and unfair, and that the New York state legal proceedings were orchestrated by Biden and federal officials.
“I’m very honoured to be involved because we’re fighting for our Constitution,” added Trump during his remarks.
Biden, at the opening of a White House speech about the Middle East, noted that the unanimous verdict against Trump came after the jury heard five weeks of testimony and that the former president was given every opportunity to defend himself.
President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the verdict in former President Donald Trump’s trial from the State Dining Room of the White House, May 31, 2024.
President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the verdict in former President Donald Trump’s trial from the State Dining Room of the White House, May 31, 2024.
“And it’s reckless, it’s dangerous, it’s irresponsible for anyone to say this was rigged just because they don’t like the verdict,” said Biden on Friday.
The 12-member jury deliberated for about 10 hours over two consecutive days before returning Thursday’s verdict, making Trump the first U.S. president to be tried and convicted on criminal charges.
Trump is the presumptive 2024 Republican presidential nominee in the November election against Biden, the Democrat who defeated him in the 2020 election. But Trump now faces the possibility of being placed on probation or imprisoned for up to four years.
VOA
