Twelve jurors took more than nine hours impeaching former President Donald Trump on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.
A handful of Trump’s nominees less than nine minutes were spent denouncing the verdict.
“Guilty” series of readings started at 5:06 p.m. Thursday in Judge Juan Merca’s New York courtroom. Until 5:12 South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem He rushed to Trump’s defense on the Internet.
“A massively inconsistent, Biden donor and liberal judge + jury rigged with unconstitutional jury instructions + radical left-wing prosecutor = wrongful conviction,” Trump is said to be considering as a vice-presidential candidate. Posted in X. “No doubt Trump will be easily acquitted soon because the case will be clearly overturned on appeal.”
Another competitor, Senator Marco Rubio florida, X was drawn on a minute later.
“The verdict in New York is a complete travesty that makes a mockery of our justice system,” he wrote, adding insults to Mercana and “a jury from the most liberal state in America.”
Then, at 5:14, it came Senator JD Vance Ohio on the same social media platform called his verdict “It is a disgrace to the rule of law and our Constitution.”
It was fast and furious — and not entirely surprising — political coda for a Trump legit had become an informal audition round for potential running mates. Several top prospects, including Vance and North Dakota Governor Doug BurgumAppeared in the courthouse on Thursday, showed up to lend support during the weekly test. Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla. and longer-term prospects, including biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, spoke in New York.
Vice-presidential candidates have also consistently appeared to defend him on television — especially on conservative and right-wing outlets like Fox News — and on social media.
An hour after the verdict was read, other reactions from potential shortlists circulated on social media.
There were Donalds 5:17 a.m: “Donald Trump is innocent. To hell with what the jury said.”
Rep. Elise Stefanik, RN.Y. also at 5:17: “Today’s sentencing shows just how corrupt, fraudulent and un-American the gun justice system has become under Joe Biden and the Democrats.”
Many of the statements maintained this The harshest criticism for Merchan and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
“The prosecutor is a politician who promised to nail Trump” Ramaswamy wrote (at 5:20), referring to how Brag swore for a long time look at work.
Two Arkansas Republicans, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Sen. Tom Cotton (both at 5:29 a.m.) have signed up to “do uncertainty.a politically motivated sham trial” and a “naked partisan judge,” according to.
At the same time they expressed their anger, Ben CarsonTrump’s former housing and urban development secretary, he added: “The judicial system is weaponized to go after presidents for political purposes. Imagine what they can do to you!”
Vance, who wrote a letter this week In a statement released by his Senate office (5:30 a.m.), asking Attorney General Merrick Garland to open a criminal investigation against Merchan, he took a second bite at the apple — and fired a second shot at the jury.
“The partisanship of this jury shows why we should be arguing politics at the ballot box, not in the courtroom,” Vance said. “Ultimately, I believe the American people will decide the 2024 election, not corrupt judges and prosecutors.”
Most of the plaintiffs followed up their posts with fundraising requests on Trump’s behalf.
Burgum came relatively late to the party.
“This sentence is a travesty of justice” Posted at 5:52 am. (Burgum also added Trump’s fundraising pitch.)
At 6:02 a.m., about an hour after the verdict, Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina joined the fray, striking down the jury’s decision as well as Bragg and Mercha. a video.
“DA Bragg and the judge should be ashamed of themselves,” he said in the one-minute clip. “It’s just not funny. It actually undermines Americans’ confidence in the justice system. Unbelievable. It’s not convincing.”
Alec Hernandez and Lindsey Pipia contributed.