Joe Biden’s campaign responds to Donald Trump conviction
- Trump was convicted on 34 counts of falsifying business records
- Prosecutors said he did this to hide hush money payments
- Republicans decried the verdict; Democrats said it's justified
(Justin Lane/Pool Photo/AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
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(NewsNation) — President Joe Biden has not addressed the conviction of his predecessor Donald Trump on multiple counts of falsifying business records, but his campaign has.
NewsNation sources said that Biden did not issue a statement on the day of the verdict itself to avoid stirring the pot. However, Biden’s campaign team said in a statement that in New York, where Trump’s trial took place, “we saw that no one is above the law.”
“Donald Trump has always mistakenly believed he would never face consequences for breaking the law for his own personal gain,” the campaign’s statement said. “But today’s verdict does not change the fact that the American people face a simple reality. There is still only one way to keep Donald Trump out of the Oval Office: at the ballot box. Convicted felon or not, Trump will be the Republican nominee for president.”
Still, Biden will likely be asked by reporters about Trump, who was found guilty on all 34 counts against him. Trump himself is speaking about the conviction Friday morning, though.
Other reactions to Trump verdict
Trump started fundraising almost immediately after the verdict was announced, with NewsNation partner The Hill reporting that the former president’s campaign donation page briefly crashed in the moments after the verdict was read.
The campaign announced fundraising numbers Friday, saying that at $34.8 million, it’s “nearly double the biggest day ever recorded for the Trump campaign on the WinRed platform.”
Some other Republicans, such as Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, called what happened a “shameful day” in American history.
“The American people see this as lawfare, and they know it is wrong — and dangerous. President Trump will rightfully appeal this absurd verdict — and he WILL WIN!” Johnson wrote on X.
Democrats, on the other hand, said the conviction was warranted.
“No one is above the law,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer wrote. “The verdict speaks for itself.”
Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., the former House speaker, called this a “somber” moment for America.
“Trial by a jury of peers is a fundamental principle of democracy, which must be respected,” Pelosi said.
NewsNation correspondent Kellie Meyer contributed to this report.
