Friday, Donald Trump launched into a rambling rant filled with anger at “sick” adversaries and “fascists” following what he considered as an unfair trial that made him the premier ex-US president to be convicted of a felony.
The 77-year-old Republican who is running neck to neck with President Joe Biden in 2024 White House race said he would appeal against the ruling which he called ‘a scam.’
Trump was addressing the media at what was called a press conference in the fancy lobby of his own Trump Tower building in Manhattan.
But after mounting the podium, he went on a bizarre 35-minute tangent of insults, misrepresentations and non sequiturs that were reflective of his incandescent fury then left without taking any questions from journalists.
Expressing his anger over Judge Juan Merchan who headed his trial, Trump named him as a despot who even “crucified” witnesses in court.
“He looks like an angel but I believe this man is actually devil’s incarnate,” these statements were broadcast live by all major television stations across America.
Biden wrote on X for his first brief statement since Thursday’s verdict that Trump was “threatening democracy” by attacking the US justice system.
In fact, Biden’s campaign gave out a scathing press release describing worked up Trump as being “perplexed and defeated.”
According to them, this man cannot be president.
Sentencing on July 11
Speaking frequently about Biden and illegal aliens during his speech rather than focusing squarely on the trial itself; they speak languages unknown and are infested with terrorists besides “lots of people” released from jail-houses according to him.
“They’re coming in from all over world into our country, we have got president plus group of fascists who don’t want to do anything about it because they can do it right now. He could stop it today but he won’t. They’re destroying our country,” Trump said.
Trump was also found unanimously guilty on all 34 counts of fudging business records to hide a hush money that was paid to silence a porn star, Stormy Daniels from going public about an alleged sexual liaison he believed would kill his 2016 presidential bid.
Prosecutors built their case around the idea that the hush money and illegal cover up of the payment constituted a broader crime aimed at keeping voters from finding out about Trump’s behavior just as he was preparing face Hillary Clinton.
Although he might possibly go to jail, Trump is much more likely to receive probation.
This will be four days prior to the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, where he will receive the party’s formal nomination, Merchan set sentencing for July 11.
Election earthquake
Though it does not block Trump from pursuing his campaign, this judgment throws into more disarray what had already been a very tight contest between him and Biden.
As soon as verdict came down on Thursday, Trump’s campaign immediately sent out a fund-raising email with a photo of him next to words saying “I am political prisoner!”
The website eventually collapsed because donations totaling $34.8 million poured in according to the campaign officials.
“Our digital fundraising system was overwhelmed within minutes after this sham trial verdict became public,” lamented the campaign managers.
In New York alone, besides these three much graver criminal charges against him for trying to overturn Biden’s win in 2020 and possessing top-secret information at his Florida residence.
However, those cases are not likely to be heard before the November election.
Biden’s prudence is evident
He has so far been cautious about making Trump’s multiple legal difficulties an election issue. As president, he is keen to avoid giving ammunition to Republicans who claim he is meddling in the justice system.
Besides a brief assault on Trump over X – as part of a fundraising appeal – Biden has yet to speak about the verdict.
On Friday, there are several public engagements for him including meetings with Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, a celebration for NFL Super Bowl champions Kansas City Chiefs and speeches from White House on Middle East.
A spokesman for President Vladimir Putin, whose rule has seen dozens of political opponents, journalists and human rights campaigners murdered, alluded that it was a jury trial that amounts to “a de facto elimination of political rivals.”
“That would be an example of classic projection,” said US Secretary of State Antony Blinken while attending a Nato meeting in Prague.
In Italy, Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini of extreme right-wing claims that Trump was suffering “judicial harassment”.
