NEW YORK — Former President Donald Trump blasted the judge in his hush money trial and vowed to appeal the verdict in a speech to reporters on Friday morning.
Speaking from Trump Tower, the former president and presumptive Republican nominee, lashed out against Judge Juan Merchan and called the trial “rigged” against him.
“The people of our country know it’s a hoax, they know it’s a hoax, they get it,” Trump claimed with no evidence. “You know, they’re really smart. And it’s really something, so we’re going to be appealing this scam.”
Trump spoke out about his conviction, calling those who prosecuted him “sick people” and claimed that his supporters will be next to be charged.
“If they can do this to me, they can do this to anyone,” Trump said. “These are bad people. These are, in many cases, I believe, sick people.”
Trump used the moment to attack President Joe Biden and touch on topics such as migrants coming to the United States and economic competition with China. He then pivoted back to the verdict and continued to claim, without evidence, the trial was “rigged” with a biased judge and prosecutors.
“Nobody’s ever seen anything like it,” he said.
Trump continued his rant against Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and his former attorney Michael Cohen, saying he is honored to have been convicted of 34 felonies.
“In a way, I’m honored,” he said. “It’s not that it’s pleasant. It’s very bad for family, it’s very bad for friends and businesses, but I’m honored to be involved in it because somebody has to do it, and I might as well keep going and be the one.”
Trump currently doesn’t have any public campaign events scheduled for next week but the campaign claims to have raised over $38 million in less than 24 hours following his guilty verdict.
Trump is set to be sentenced on July 11 — three days before the Republican National Convention where he will officially become the Republican presidential nominee.
