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We just got from our reporters inside the courthouse. This is on the first count, count one, Donald Trump is found guilty. This is the former president of the United States, current presumptive Republican nominee is now a convicted felon, at least on one count. Count two also guilty. Remember, we have thirty four counts to get through here. This could take some time. Count three now Joe is also guilty.
They're going to keep coming in here pretty quickly as the jury confirms to the judge they have a verdict, and this is going to start moving one, two, three guilty. Count four is just coming in right now. From our reporters inside the courtroom. Will remind you that we do not have cameras and microphones where the jury is reading Count one guilty, Count two guilty, same for count three. And it looks like we have so far all guilty waiting for number four. If I'm reading this right, it's
now five guilty counts of thirty four. Kaylee will be watching these stream in for the next couple of moments.
Well, and now it's six, seven, even up to nine counts guilty. Dane it seems that we are looking fairly consistent across all of these and it's worth keeping in mind that now that we have a guilty conviction on this twelve counts. Now he has been found guilty of each one of these carries a maximum penalty of four years in prison. Danna. Obviously he will not be sentenced today.
The judge will schedule that for later. But as we now have sixteen guilty counts, do you expect he will spend time behind bars eighteen.
I think that Judgement Shaan, throughout the course of the trial has emphasized how big of a deal it would be to put the former president and potential future president in prison, and so I think he's going to be weighing all of the options. I do not think Donald Trump will be remanded today, so I don't think he'll go in today. And we'll see what Judgementschhaan does down the road. It'll be interesting to see.
We are now at twenty seven guilty counts. This is remarkable as we make our way to thirty four. Here now twenty nine guilty counts coming from the jury in the courthouse in Lower Manhattan. Kaylee, we should probably let this breathe. We're now at thirty thirty one on our way to thirty four. This appears to be across the.
Board thirty two guilty. Now there's only two counts left remaining, thirty three. We're waiting for the last one.
Remarkable.
Thirty four. Every single count with which Donald Trump was charged thirty four felony counts of falsifying business records he has indeed been found guilty of. Donald Trump is now running for president as a convicted felon, A convicted felon.
Deanna, what is the Trump team planning now for an.
Appeal or an appeal?
They've been laying the groundwork throughout the course of the child, starting with the testimony from Stormy Daniels and about the the details of their sexual encounter. I think there's a number of different things that have come up throughout, but they've definitely been objecting enough that there are grounds for them to at least attempt to appeal this.
All right, Dana, Paul, thank you so much for being with us as we deal with a breaking in real time story. Former President Donald Trump found guilty on all accounts in this criminal hush money trial. Joining us now for more analysis Bloomberg's Mario Parker and Megan Scully. Mario, obviously you covered the Trump White House, you now lead our White House and politics coverage. He is a convicted felon, and yet he is still going to be unless something
changes the Republican nominee for president. What does this change politically as we are going to await his sentencing on.
This, well, I think Joe used the word remarkable. What a remarkable time where we're living here right now? Right I'm looking at some of the polling that's out, It's hard to tell at this point what will changing the political landscape. Looking at some of the polling, our swing state Bloomberg Morning Console poll had about twenty three percent of swing state voters back in January saying that a
conviction may change their mind. Poll out this week from PBS News Hour NPR, sixty seven percent of Americans say that a conviction would make no difference. So we're all over the place. What we do know is that the Trump camp had already kind of started working the refs yesterday, saying that even mother Teresa, who would be found guilty in a case like this, now here's where the onus is on a We know that Donald Trump doesn't want the scarlet letter of a felony right on his record.
We know that the Biden campaign will be attacking him along those lines. What they have to do is signal that this isn't a hush money case that he got convicted for. This is an election interference case, right, So they have to figure out a way to change the branding as long as it's a hush money case that kind of works in Donald Trump's favor. Right, it's salacious, but Americans are used to kind of the selaciousness with Donald Trump.
This comes down to connecting the dots to that secondary argument. Essentially, Mario, the reaction from Congress is going to be interesting here, Megan, that's your area of specialty.
Here.
We've seen a good chunk of the Republican conference make their way to this courthouse. What are the optics now for them?
So they have been going to the courthouse. Speaker Johnson has as have several potential vice presidential candidates, including JD. Vance who's called for criminal investigation into Judge Marshan because of the gag order. So Speaker of the House himself, so yes, and I believe that we're just going to see Republicans doubling down and getting behind the president. I would be stunned if this changed anything for the lawmakers
who have been behind the president. Where it gets a little harry for Republicans are in those close districts, those districts that Biden cares and in the Hudson Valley and in southern California, And it will be very interesting to see how they respond to this. Yeah.
Absolutely, And of course we're waiting to see how Donald Trump himself responds. We are expecting we will hear from him this evening. But Mario Cours, the judge, is now in the courtroom thanking the jury for what he calls their hard work, the jury having just confirmed that, indeed they have found Donald Trump guilty on all of these counts of these crimes. Donald Trump has spoken outside that courthouse every single day for the duration of this His
message has been consistent. He thinks that this is President Biden who has mobilized this weaponized justice system against him, that this is election interference. That message has been resonating. Can he not just have more fortification of that message now they convicted him? Does that actually give him political power?
And yes to that point, that's exactly what you're going to expect to see.
Right.
I'm looking at my phone right now because I'm expecting the fundraising appeals to come through.
Right.
We know that Donald Trump hasn't seen a negative a piece of negative publicity that he hasn't tried to fashion it towards benefit. I mean, he essentially ran through the Republican primaries off the strength of some of these court cases. Right. One of the things that I also want to note is just the steady flow of public support that he's
got in the leaks as well. Right, We've got a Miriam Addelson saying today that she's going to essentially back a super pac form Steven Schwartzman over the last couple of days, Bill Ackman earlier as well, Nicky Hayley last week. Right, this isn't coincidental, Right, These are astute people. They know the political backdrop right now as well. And this is a signal too as to what their star warts support for the former president.
If you're just joining us, this is special coverage on Bloomberg TV and Radio with thirty four guilty counts. Guilty on all counts for Donald Trump and the criminal hush money trial in New York. If you're with us on Bloomberg TV, you see live view outside the courthouse where security is tight. Bloomberg's David Goura telling us that helicopters were in the air in advance of the verdict being read out, and we want to go to him now with thanks to Megan Scully and Mario Parker. David Goura
in Lower Manhattan. I suspect, David, things have become rather active outside the courthouse since this verdict was read. Do we hear next from Donald Trump?
I think that we do, and I will say, as I heard you're reading those verdicts. I was surprised by how rapidly they came out, and I think that the protesters who had gathered here in front of the courthouse and Lower Manhattan were surprised as well. As you were reading through those counts, noting that all of them were guilty. We heard cheers erupt from that group of protesters, which
again had swelled in size. I'd say they're probably fifty or sixty protesters who are gathered there now and then there has been a heightened police presence in this area for the duration of this trial. We saw movement as that verdict was being read aloud in the courtroom. It's
now impossible to cross Center Street behind me. There's a line of police officers now kind of standing sentry in front of the courthouse, down the length of these blocks of Center Street in front of the courthouse behind me. So the atmosphere feels, yes, a great deal tenser, and I think there's this expectation, the sense of wondering what's going to happen next, and when are we going to
hear from the former president. My understanding is from colleagues who are in the courtroom he sat rather motionless as those verdicts were announced. So we wait to see sort of how that is transposed into comments from the former president here in the coming minutes.
We understand that happening in the courtroom now included the defense David essentially asking for a judgment of the acquittal. That motion was denied by Judge Mrshawan, but Todd Blanche, Donald Trump's defense attorney, argued that there was no way the jury could have reached a verdict without relying on the testimony of Michael Cohen, who Blanche said was a liar, that there was no reason the court should allow a verdict for that reason. I guess that just speaks to
David the idea that this isn't necessarily done and dusted. Yes, Trump is now a convicted felon, has been found guilty on all thirty four of these counts, but his defense could still try to appeal this and continue to fight this battle.
I think that's all but certain. And you hear Todd Blanche sort of laying the groundwork for that in the courtroom now in a way that you would expect him to do. And so we're now in this kind of vacuum that opens up between this conviction and when Judge Jan Mrschon will sentence the former president. And having spoken to a few lawyers in advance of this decision, you know he's a first time felon. This is a low
grade felony. I think that it is not by any means likely that he's going to serve prison, but time in prison, But it is, of course up to the judges discretion and the expectation here is in the state of New York, that's going to happen in about a month from now, So again it'll be a vacuum that opens up here. Now this conviction is in place, and
we'll see how the president operates in that vacuum. As as you've been discussing here over these last few minutes, he is moving full speed ahead toward the election in early November, and this moves from the cruispool of this courtroom that he's been so clearly uncomfortable in and eager to get out of, onto the campaign trail ahead of the general election in November.
David, thank you so much. Bloomberg's David Gora outside the courthouse as we wait to hear from the former president as part of our special coverage on Bloomberg TV and Radio. Let's bring back Deanna Paul, former New York City assistant da watching this along with us. We read the counts together, we learned the verdict together.
Deanna.
How long is it going to be before Americans hear about a sentence?
I agree with what David was just saying. I would say probably about a month before Donald Trump has to come back to court and Judge Mrschan will sentence him. But given the historic nature of the case and who who the defendant is, I'm not sure if it'll be kind of par for the course.
Well as if they could hear us. Judge Marshon has just answered that question. Todd Blanche requested a day in mid to late July, and Judge Mrschan says July eleventh will be the date for the sentencing. Remarkable to consider that July eleventh is just four days before the beginning of the Republican National Convention, where Donald Trump is expected to officially become the Republican nominee for president in twenty
twenty four. So it's interesting to consider the speech that Donald Trump will be giving that week Diana could be colored by the fact that he will ultimately know what punishment he is facing for these crimes that he has been found guilty of. But the appeals process is we were just talking about what David Gurrow will likely extend far beyond July. Correct.
Absolutely, and I imagine when Donald Trump and his attorneys speak today, that's exactly what they're going to say, is that they have every intention of filing an appeal immediately.
We've got a statement from the Speaker of the House, Kayley, can you bring that to us.
Yeah, Speaker Mike Johnson just releasing the following statement. He says, quote today is this shameful day in American history? Democrats cheered as they convicted the leader of the opposing party on ridiculous charges predicated on the testimony of a disbarred, convicted felon. This was purely political exercise, not a legal one.
The House speaker goes on to say, the weaponization of our justice system has been a hallmark of the Biden administration, and the decision today is further evidence that Democrats will stop at nothing to silence dissent and crush their political opponents, Echoing what we have heard from the former president here.
Again in a couple of moments, Deana, can you speak to this. We're going to hear about weaponizing the federal justice system. We have been for months, will continue to straight through sentencing or maybe the rest of this campaign, but we're talking about a state level court here. How do you square that? Before you answer that, Danna, it looks like we do have the former president coming out now. We want everyone to hear what he has to say. Let's listen live to Donald Trump.
Agreed trial by a conflicted judge who was corrupted. It's a rig trial and disgrace. It wouldn't give us a venue change. We were at five percent or six percent in this district, in this area. This was a rigged, disgraceful trial that the real verdict is going to be November fifth by the people. And they know what here, and everybody knows what happened here. You have a sore respect DA and a whole thing. We didn't do a thing wrong. I'm a very innocent man, and it's okay.
I'm fighting for our country. I'm fighting for our constitution. Our whole country is being rigged right now. This was done by the Biden administration in order to wound or hurt an opponent, a political opponent, And I think it's just a disgrace. And we'll keep fighting. We'll fight till the end and we'll win because our country's gone to hell. We don't have the same country anymore. We have a
divided mess. We're nation to decline, serious decline. Millions and millions of people pouring into our country right now from prisons and from mental institutions, terrorists, and they're taking over our country. We have a country that's in big trouble. But this was a rigged decision right from day one, with a conflicted judge. You should have never been allowed to try this case. Never, and we will fight for our constitution. This is Lord from over, thank you very much.
Fright or felony counts of falsifying. That was former President Donald Trump speaking outside the courthouse after just being found guilty on all thirty four felony counts of falsifying business records. They're maintaining he is innocent, essentially vowing that he will be appealing this also repeating false claims he has made consistently over the course of this trial, that the judges corrupt, that this is rigged, that the Biden administration is to blame.
Those are words he has consistently uses, even if they are not in fact accurate. We want to turn back now to Bloomberg's Meghan Scully and Mario Parker for more analysis. So, Meghan, it was interesting to hear Donald Trump say those words when we just read from a statement many similar words in phrasing from the House Speaker Mike Johnson, which goes to show it is not just Donald Trump that is singing this tune, but other powerful Republicans in Washington.
Absolutely, we just got a statement in from the Judiciary chairman. It's calling this a travesty of justice, and they're just pouring in one after another talking, really taking on Judge Marshawn, calling this a rig trial, using language that we've grown accustomed to Donald Trump using, essentially really putting into question the justice that happened today and the decision that the jurors came to. That's a rarity or that was a
rarity in American politics. And this is sort of a continuation of a long trend here, but really coming to a culmination today with the responses.
So we just heard from the former president. If you're just joining us on Bloomberg, this is special coverage with thirty four guilty counts against the former president in Lower Manhattan. He spoke very briefly, suggested once again that the trial was rigged and that the real jury would decide in November on the outcome of this case. Our reporters inside the room bring some color, remembering there are no cameras
or microphones inside the courthouse on Center Street. Donald Trump bumping fists with his son Eric, looking grim on his way out of the court before we heard him speak. Our reporters tell us when they were looking right at him, he showed no emotion and did not show any reaction.
When the verdict was announced, he stared straight ahead, Mario Parker is back with us as well, Mario, your take on this idea of the trial being rigged, The election in twenty twenty was rigged, Jack Smith's case rigged, the documents case in Florida all rigged.
Yeah, there's a trend there, right, so that you point out anytime that things don't go Donald Trump's way, this is the card that he usually plays, right. But to Megan's point, what you're saying is that the party has essentially adopted that tone and that posture as will, and they're rallying to his defense. Now again, we would expect against based off of polling, that Republicans will buy and large stand with him by and large, maybe about twenty
five percent may waiver. The problem here for Donald Trump is going to be that Joe Biden is going to be labeling him presumptive Republican presidential nominee fell in and convicted felon Donald Trump, and that'll be message to swing voters over the next five months and including the timeline that you all laid out from the convention, the debates in June twenty seventh as well, just a couple of weeks before the sentencing.
Well, it's worth pointing out as well, it's not just what voters ultimately decide to do, but what donors decide to do between now and when people actually go to the polls in November, because there are millions of dollars to be raised and spent in a presidential campaign. Mario, especially considering we got the verdict on the same day that we had reporting that Bill Ackman maybe getting close
to backing Trump. He has received in recent weeks, the backing of more billionaires who weren't previously in line with him. How should we consider the money here and whether or not it perhaps is even going to get thrown at him more so as a result of this conviction.
Well, that's what they're banking on, right, That's what the
Trump camp is banking on. They're banking on the fact that again we've kind of outlined just that through lines in between the rhetoric that some of his advocates and surrogates have used the rig for example, So some of this was baked in, right, the expectation that he very well could have been convicted of this and yet to your point, Kayley, I mean, you've had donors who knew, who are quite aware that today or the verdict could have come in at any time publicly saying that they're
going to back him with money as well. So that kind of shows that, I mean, some of this is baked in, and the Trump campaign is going to continue to kind of message.
That the congressional reaction I suspect could be pretty loud beyond the statements that are going to be hitting our email boxes for the next twenty four hours. Megan, you mentioned jd Vance a potential investigation into what's motivating Juan Rashon, But how about beyond that, are we going to be in for another six months of oversight committee hearings? The Judiciary Committee get involved here, Jim Jordan has to get a piece of this, right.
Well, it's going to be interesting to see what happens because if you recall, the impeachment push for President Biden has essentially stalled in the House. So do they try to revive that, do they go back and look at impeaching another cabinet official like they did with Alejandro Amiorkis, the Homeland Security Secretary, And what do they do on the Hill. We are now at a point on the
Hill where they have switched into campaign mode. So we have tons of legislation coming to the floor that are messaging votes, things that are never going to become law, but that are good for their candidates to vote on. And I think that there will certainly be some messaging legislation targeted at supporting Donald Trump.
It also raises the question what Congressional Democrats may do, considering this is one criminal case that Donald Trump was dealing with. Three others are stalled. This one has now come to a conclusion, at least for now. The appellate
process is something different. Others are stalled, in part because we are awaiting a decision from the Supreme Court on the case here in Washington about whether or not Trump has presidential immunity, And a lot of Congressional Democrats have been making a lot of noise about the idea that Clarence Thomas and Alito should be recusing themselves from the cases involving Donald Trump in January sixth, does that only intensify now knowing that the Chief Justice John Roberts today
said he won't be meeting with Congressional Democrats over this recusal issue.
I think it does, and we're seeing that come from people like Democrat Jamie Raskin of Maryland, who is a constitutional scholar and oversaw one of the impeachments of Donald Trump, talking about ways that they can get Alito and get Clarence Thomas to recuse themselves from these January sixth related Trump related decisions. And we're going to see a push. Whether or not that can that will actually come to fruition remains to be seen because we are in uncharted territory.
This has never happened in the history of our nation that a former president be convicted on felony charges, let alone a former president who is the presumptive party nominee for the next election. So it's going to be a bumpy time on Capitol Hill with a lot of mudslinging and a lot of new paths being charted.
Rat Bloomberg's Megan Scully and Mario Parker with breaking analysis. Thanks for being with us both in the clutch