PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — Reaction is coming in from national and state level government officials after Donald Trump was found guilty of all 34 felony counts in his criminal hush money trial.
A New York jury found him guilty Thursday of falsifying business records in a scheme to illegally influence the 2016 election.
Trump, who called the decision a “disgrace” and said he was a “very innocent man,” was already the first U.S. president in history to face criminal charges, and Thursday’s historic decision means he’s also the first to be a convicted felon.
He now faces three other upcoming criminal trials related to his handling of classified documents and election interference cases from Georgia and in connection to the Jan. 6 insurrection.
The latest reaction
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin weighed in on the verdict, saying on X that it was “a politically motivated prosecution” by people out to get the former president.
Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares said on X that while others declined to prosecute the case, the case still moved forward only “because the defendant was named Donald Trump.”
Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina said that he was shocked by the verdict “considering the case should have never been brought forward.”
Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia said that “the Trump verdict is proof that no one is above the law in this country. It’s also tragic in this way—Americans put the reins of leadership in the hands of a person whose character is so far beneath the office that no rational adult would ever encourage young people to emulate his behavior. Trump’s lack of character has caught up to him. And Americans—once again—have received a clear warning about a person who wants to seize leadership once again. I pray that we heed the warning.”
Virginia’s other senator, Sen. Mark Warner, said that “every American deserves their day in court. President Trump got his.”
Democratic Rep. Bobby Scott of Virginia said on X that “it is a somber day when a former president is convicted of numerous felonies, but it also shows that no one is above the law.”
Rep. Abigail Spanberger, a Democrat running for Virginia governor, said on X that “we are a country of laws. Today, our justice system held someone accountable for his crimes. In the wake of this verdict, responsible lawmakers must lead by example and not deny the truth or stoke anger. We must demonstrate principled leadership and uphold the rule of law.”
Rep. Jen Kiggans, on X, said that “today’s verdict is not about justice; it’s about revenge. Democrats’ continued attempts to discredit and silence their opponents is shameful. The American people have a sacred right to a fair and unbiased justice system; unfortunately, days like today make that ideal hard to believe in.
“No amount of rigged trials can cover up the damage that Joe Biden and the Democrats have done to our country. In November, we’ll put an end to their disastrous leadership once and for all.”
Former Virginia Speaker of the House, Republican Del. Todd Gilbert, said that “the ‘save democracy’ crowd should be ashamed of the depths to which those in power will stoop in order to prevent Donald Trump from becoming President again. You will reap what you sow.”
Del. Aaron Rouse said on X that “today was a solemn reminder that nobody is above the law — whether you’re a Democrat, or you’re a Republican, or even if you’re President of the United States. For the first time in our nation’s history, a former President is a convicted felon.”
State Sen. Louise Lucas said that “I am hopeful that the newly convicted thug will still be legally allowed to waste his time campaigning in Virginia so he can continue costing Republicans multiple elections for running on his platform.”
In a statement from Biden-Harris 2024 Communications Director Michael Tyler on the verdict, “we saw that no one is above the law.”
Tyler added that “Donald Trump has always mistakenly believed he would never face consequences for breaking the law for his own personal gain. 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.
“The threat Trump poses to our democracy has never been greater. He is running an increasingly unhinged campaign of revenge and retribution, pledging to be a dictator ‘on day one’ and calling for our Constitution to be ‘terminated’ so he can regain and keep power. A second Trump term means chaos, ripping away Americans’ freedoms and fomenting political violence – and the American people will reject it this November.”
