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Key events
“If they can do this to me, they can do this to anyone,” Trump said after his sentencing
Donald Trump began his speech by describing his conviction as a harbinger of bad things to come before turning to the well-worn topic of immigration.
“This is a case where if they can do this to me, they can do this to anyone,” the former president said.
Then he changed the subject:
These are bad people. I believe that in many cases these are sick people. When you look at our country, what is happening where millions and millions of people are pouring in from all parts of the world, not only from South America, from Africa, from Asia, from the Middle East, and they come from prisons and jails, and they come from mental institutions and insane asylums. They come from all over the world to our country, and we have a president and a bunch of fascists who don’t want to do anything about it.
Now Donald Trump has taken the podium.
Trump to make remarks in New York after felony conviction
Hugo Lowell
Donald Trump is expected to begin speaking in the lobby of Trump Tower in New York at 11 a.m., a campaign official confirmed.
There are no teleprompter panels set up next to the lectern, so this could be a particularly free speech from Trump.
Joe Biden has just announced that he will be speaking this afternoon about… the Middle East:
I will make remarks about the Middle East later today.
Get involved here.
— President Biden (@POTUS) May 31, 2024
The president has been silent since the jury found Donald Trump guilty of business fraud charges yesterday, with a White House spokesman Ian Sams saying: “We respect the rule of law and have no further comment.”
The speech had not been on Biden’s schedule before. It comes as the face of the president sustained criticism for his support for Israel as his administration pushes for a deal with Hamas that would lead to the release of hostages and a cease-fire in Gaza.
Maya Yang
Dozens of reporters have gathered in the lobby of Trump Tower in New York ahead of his 11 a.m. press conference.
NYPD officers are stationed outside the tower on Fifth Avenue, which is surrounded by metal barricades. A few minutes ago, someone drove a car decorated with Trump memorabilia down the street blasting Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA.”
Another supporter, wearing a Maga hat, waved a yellow flag that read “Don’t Tread on Me.” His shirt read “Chinese Americans Love Trump.”
Trump campaign announces record $34.8 million raised since sentencing
Donald Trump‘c volleys fundraising emails, text messages and ads appear to have paid off, as his campaign just announced a record $34.8 million in small-dollar donations following his conviction on business fraud charges.
Here are senior Trump campaign advisers Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles of a huge catch:
Within minutes of the false conviction being announced, our digital fundraising system was overwhelmed with support, and despite temporary online delays due to heavy traffic, President Trump raised $34.8 million in petty cash. Not only was the amount historic, but 29.7% of yesterday’s donors were brand new donors to the WinRed platform. President Trump and our campaign are extremely grateful for this outpouring of support from patriots across our country. President Trump is fighting to save our nation and November 5th is the day Americans will deliver the real verdict.
Now that the jury has found Donald Trump guilty of felony charges, the question becomes: how will this affect his chances of winning the 2024 election?
Recent polls show Trump leading Joe Biden in swing states as the president struggles with persistently low approval ratings.
Politico got hold of it note by Trump campaign advisers, who generally downplayed the impact of his conviction on his polls, but acknowledged that their polls showed his lead would have dropped by two percentage points if he had been convicted.
It remains to be seen whether that will be enough for Biden to close the gap in the swing states that will determine the election. Here’s more on some of the latest polls on the presidential race:
Maryland’s former Republican governor says the public should ‘respect the verdict’
Top Republicans have (one more time) rallied behind Donald Trump following his felony conviction yesterday, with a few exceptions.
Larry HoganThe former governor of Maryland, who is running for the Senate representing the deep blue state, said the public should “respect the verdict”:
Regardless of the outcome, I urge all Americans to respect the verdict and the judicial process. At this dangerously divisive moment in our history, all leaders—regardless of party—must not add fuel to the fire with more poisonous partisanship. We must affirm what has made this nation…
— Governor Larry Hogan (@GovLarryHogan) May 30, 2024
Hogan has already denounced Trump and, if he wins the election, looks set to play the role of spoiler once held by the departing one Mitt Romney and other moderates.
Needless to say, Trump’s team was not happy with Hogan’s comments. Here’s a senior campaign adviser Chris LaCivita:
Adam KinzingerA former Republican congressman, who chose to retire after breaking with the rest of the party over Trump and has been on the committee since Jan. 6, also welcomed the verdict:
Robert Kennedy says Democrats plan to ‘defeat President Trump in the courtroom, not the ballot box’
In a post by X, an independent presidential candidate Robert Kennedy Jr accused Democrats of orchestrating Donald Trumpa conviction for business fraud because they were afraid of losing to him in the November election:
The Democratic Party’s strategy is to defeat President Trump in the courtroom, not at the ballot box. This will backfire in November. Even worse, it is profoundly undemocratic.
America deserves a president who can win at the ballot box without compromising on…
— Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (@RobertKennedyJr) May 30, 2024
While Alvin Braggthe Manhattan district attorney leading the prosecution is indeed a Democrat, there is no evidence that he cooperated with the party, or Joe Bidenthe re-election campaign of.
Following his sentencing yesterday afternoon, Donald Trump’s campaign sent out a flood of fundraising emails sharply denouncing his conviction.
“Breaking away from Trump: JUSTICE IS DEAD IN AMERICA!” reads one that has just landed in the Guardian’s inbox US policy live blog.
“I have just been convicted in a FAKE TRIAL for meddling in our elections. Their sick and twisted goal is simple: Twist the justice system against me so much that proud supporters like YOU will SALT when you hear my name
It goes on to say that “Today is a A DARK DAY in history, but your answer right now will shine brighter than 1000 suns.
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