Former President Donald Trump on Thursday expressed defiance in the wake of a guilty verdict in his New York criminal trial, calling the trial a "rigged" proceeding and blaming the Biden administration for the development.
Trump was found guilty by a New York jury on 34 counts of falsifying business records. The trial first began in April and the verdict marked both the first prosecution and conviction of a former president in U.S. history. Trump's sentencing is set for July 11.
"This was a disgrace. This was a rigged trial by a conflicted judge who was corrupt. It's a rigged trial, a disgrace. They wouldn't give us a venue change. We were at 5% or 6% in this district, in this area. This was a rigged, disgraceful trial," he said. "The real verdict is going to be November 5th by the people. And they know what happened here, and everybody knows what happened here. You have a Soros-backed DA, and the whole thing, we didn't do a thing wrong."
"I'm a very innocent man, and it's okay, I'm fighting for our country. I'm fighting for our Constitution. Our whole country is being rigged right now," he went on. "This was done by the Biden administration in order to wound or hurt an opponent, a political opponent. And I think it's just a disgrace. And we'll keep fighting. We'll fight till the end, and we'll win because our country has gone to hell."
We don't have the same country anymore. We have a divided mess. We're a nation in decline, serious decline, millions and millions of people pouring into our country right now from prisons and from mental institutions, terrorists, and they're taking over our country. We have a country that's in big trouble," Trump continued. "But this was a rigged decision right from Day One. With a conflicted judge who should have never been allowed to try this case. Never. And we will fight for our Constitution. This is long from over. Thank you very much."
Bragg had charged Trump with 34 counts of falsifying business records in connection with a 2016 payment his then-attorney, Michael Cohen, made to Stormy Daniels. He pleaded not guilty and has been steadfast throughout the case that it is part of a broader political witch hunt designed to derail his 2024 bid for the White House.
Trump's reference to the "conflicted judge" was a reference to acting Justice Juan Merchan, whom he asserted should never have been permitted to preside over the case. Trump had twice asked Merchan to recuse himself in light of his daughter, Loren Merchan's, employment with Authentic, a company that boasts both President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris as clients. Merchan declined in both instances.
