Donald Trump Blasts Judge As A “Devil” And Justice System As “Rigged” In Speech After Guilty Verdict
UPDATED: Donald Trump seized on coverage of the historic guilty verdicts in his hush money trial to blast the judge as a “devil” and claim that the proceedings were rigged.
“If they can do this to me, they can do this to anyone,” Trump said at the outset of his speech, carried across cable news networks.
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As he has done throughout the proceedings, he used superlatives to describe what has happened, this time calling it “fascist.”
From the same Trump Tower lobby where he first announced his presidential bid nine years ago, Trump alternated between his campaign talking points and many of the lines that he often recited in his many appearances during breaks in the Manhattan court proceedings.
“This is a scam. It’s a rigged trial. It shouldn’t have been at that venue. We shouldn’t have had that judge,” Trump said, against the backdrop of American flags.
The appearance also seemed designed to gin up his supporters and potential supporters that he was unfairly targeted by a politicized justice system, one orchestrated by Joe Biden. The case, though, was brought by Manhattan prosecutors, not the Biden administration Justice Department.
After the unanimous verdicts were announced on Thursday, Trump’s campaign quickly sent out fundraising pitches. According to the campaign, they have raised $34.8 million since then.
In his 40-minute remarks, Trump went through some of the details of the trial that he said were unfair.
He accused Judge Juan Merchan of not allowing an election law expert, Brad Smith, that the former president’s defense team planned to call. Merchan said that witness could take the stand, but would be restricted in commenting on how he believed the law applied to Trump and his guilt or innocence.
“They were able to use people salacious … as they could be, and it had nothing to do with the case, but it had to do with politics,” he said, apparently referring to Stormy Daniels, who testified for the prosecution.
The judge’s gag order is still in place, and restricts Trump from attacking the jury and witnesses, as well as lower-level prosecutors and the judge’s family. Still, in his remarks, Trump attacked the prosecution’s star witness, Michael Cohen, albeit not by name.
Some of Trump’s harshest criticism was reserved for Merchan. “You saw what happened to some of the witnesses that were on our side,” he said. “They were literally crucified by this man who looks like an angel but he’s really a devil.”
Trump apparently was referring to attorney Bob Costello, one of two witnesses called by the defense. As he was testifying, Costello was admonished by the judge for making snide remarks to his rulings. Merchan ultimately cleared the courtroom briefly to warn Costello that his behavior was “contemptuous.”
Trump himself did not testify, and there was some question as to why his defense didn’t call additional witnesses before resting their case.
Trump’s sentencing is scheduled for July 11, just days before the start of the Republican National Convention.
NBC carried the remarks but other broadcasters stuck with regular programming. Fox News carried the entirety of the remarks, but CNN and later MSNBC cut away for fact checks.
“In a way I am honored,” Trump said. “It’s not that it’s pleasant. It’s very bad for family. It’s very bad for friends and businesses. But I am honored to be involved in it because somebody has to do it, and I might as well keep going and be the one.”
Trump has vowed revenge. In a video he posted on Truth Social shortly after the verdict, Trump is heard saying, “we will throw off the sick political class that hates our country.” House Speaker Mike Johnson told Fox & Friends, “I do believe the Supreme Court should step in.” Some Republicans in Congress, led by Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT), have circulated a letter, pledging not to cooperate with the White House, even though it was not responsible for prosecuting the case, as it was done at the New York state level.
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