Trump's motorcade sitting in traffic on the way back to Trump Tower
From CNN's Chief Law Enforcement and Intelligence Analyst John Miller
Donald Trump's motorcade is currently sitting in some traffic on the FDR Drive heading back to Trump Tower.
New York City does not freeze the route back to Trump Tower for Trump the way that they would for a sitting president. He gets a police escort, however.
As he departed, Trump waved to a crowd that had eagerly awaited the verdict outside the courthouse
From CNN's Sabrina Souza and Kit Maher
Donald Trump's SUV slowed as his motorcade left the courthouse, giving him a chance to wave at a crowd of people waiting for him to exit — some voicing support for the former president, and some cheering his guilty verdict.
People in the crowd had been huddled in silence and then burst into cheers and claps as Trump's guilty verdict was first updated on their phones. One man, meanwhile, appeared to be really angry.
There had been sporadic cheering here and there throughout the day from passersby who saw posters that say things like, "Lock him up."
Others waved pro-Trump banners and American flags.
Trump to be sentenced just days before officially becoming the GOP presidential nominee
From CNN's Elise Hammond
Donald Trump is scheduled to be sentenced just days before the Republican National Convention where it is expected he will officially become the party’s nominee for president — something his team was worried about when looking at the timing of the hush money trial, sources told CNN’s Kristen Holmes.
Trump’s sentencing hearing is set to take place on July 11. The RNC begins on July 15 in Milwaukee. Trump is required to be in court for the sentencing.
While it is historic that Trump is the first former president to be convicted of criminal charges, “it is also historic that he will be the Republican nominee, being sentenced just days before," Holmes said.
The former president’s lawyer, Todd Blanche, originally asked for a late-July sentencing date to take place after the convention, Holmes reported.
“Donald Trump’s team has been incredibly concerned about this trial around the convention. When they were using their delay, delay, delay tactics one of the senior advisers told me that they were worried about pushing this too far and that the trial would butt up against the convention,” Holmes said.
RFK Jr. says hush money case is "being used to divide us"
From CNN's Aaron Pellish
Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said following the verdict in former President Donald Trump's hush money trial that the case is "being used to divide us."
Kennedy, who learned about his opponent's verdict while speaking with reporters ahead of his appearance at a cryptocurrency convention in Austin, Texas, dismissed the importance of the case.
"I've been disciplined about not commenting on the court cases and talking about issues that I think are of deep concern to Americans,and not the issues that, you know, are being used to divide us, the culture war issues. I'm not going to comment on it," Kennedy said.
Whenasked by CNN to elaborate on why he feels the verdict is an issue voters aren't prioritizing, Kennedy reiterated he believes the trial outcome is among a set of “culture war issues,” some of which he said are “important issues,” but said he’d rather focus on the economy and health issues.
Key witness Michael Cohen reacts to Trump verdict
Michael Cohen, in a statement responding to the verdict, said "today is an important day for accountability and the rule of law."
"While it has been a difficult journey for me and my family, the truth always matters. I want to thank my attorneys Danya Perry and Joshua Kolb for their invaluable guidance and support throughout this process," he said.
Cohen, Trump's former lawyer and fixer, was the Manhattan district attorney’s key witness in the hush money trial.
Danya Perry, Cohen's attorney, told CNN's Anderson Cooper that her client "has mixed feelings."
"He definitely wanted to see accountability for his former boss and mentor, and someone who meant so much to him for so long," Perry said. "But for those same reasons, his emotions are tinged with sadness as well."
Donald Trump is found guilty on all counts. Here’s what you missed after a stunning late-day verdict
From CNN’s Christina Zdanowicz
After Judge Juan Merchan told the courtroom the jury would be dismissed at 4:30 p.m., the expectation was that the jurors would resume their deliberations on Friday.
Donald Trump was saying "Thank you" to the court staff and his demeanor was the most relaxed since jury selection.
Then word came that the jurors, who had been deliberating for nearly 12 hours over two days, had reached a verdict and they asked for 30 minutes to fill out their forms.
If you are just joining us, here's what you missed:
Guilty: The former president was convicted on all 34 counts of falsifying business records. The counts stemmed from 11 invoices, 12 vouchers and 11 checks that make up Trump’s monthly reimbursem*nt payments to Michael Cohen who fronted the $130,000 payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels.
Acquittal denied: Trump's attorney Todd Blanche moved for an acquittal of the charges, notwithstanding the verdict. The judge denied the motion.
Sentencing date: Merchan set a sentencing date for July 11, just days before the Republican National Convention, which is set to begin on July 15.
Trump’s reaction: Trump stared straight ahead during the verdict reading and when the acquittal motion was denied. Frowning, the former president grabbed his son Eric's hand and shook it rapidly, before starting to walk out of the courtroom. Trump was red in the face, and both father and son looked upset.
Trump spoke: Outside the courtroom, Trump called the hush money trial against him a “disgrace” and a “rigged trial.”
“We didn't do a thing wrong. I’m a very innocent man,” Trump said.
Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee for president, saidthe "real verdict is going to be November 5 by the people," referring to the general election.
CNN's Elise Hammond contributed to this post.
Fact Check: Trump repeats baseless claim about the Biden administration and the hush money case
From CNN's Daniel Dale
After he was found guilty on Thursday, former President Donald Trump returned to a familiar refrain about the case – asserting that “this was done by the Biden administration in order to wound or hurt an opponent, a political opponent.”
Facts First:There is no basis for Trump’s claim. There is no evidence that President Joe Biden or his administration had any role in launching or running Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s prosecution—and Bragg, a Democrat, is a locally elected official who does not report to the federal government. Theindictmentin the case was approved by a grand jury of ordinary citizens.
Trump hasrepeatedly invokeda lawyer on Bragg’s team, Matthew Colangelo, while making such claims; Colangelo left the Justice Department in 2022to join the district attorney’s officeassenior counsel to Bragg. But there is no evidence that Biden or administration officials had anything to do with Colangelo’s employment decision. Colangelo and Bragg had been colleagues before Bragg was elected Manhattan district attorney in 2021.
Before Colangelo worked at the Justice Department, he and Bragg worked at the same time in the office of New York’s state attorney general, where Colangeloinvestigated Trump’s charityand financial practices and wasinvolved in bringing various lawsuitsagainst the Trump administration.
Trump allies react to guilty verdict
Allies of Donald Trump quickly took to social media showing support for the former president following his guilty verdict.
House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, who is reportedly on Trump’s vice president short list, said the verdict “shows how corrupt and rigged the American system has become under Joe Biden.”
“From the start, the scales of justice were stacked against President Trump,” Stefanik wrote in a statement. “We must redouble our efforts and work around the clock to ensure President Trump is victorious this November to save America from Biden’s failed Far Left Democrat agenda.”
Georgia GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green posted a photo on X of an upside down American flag – a symbol of the “Stop the Steal” campaign and the January 6 insurrection.
Meanwhile, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise called the verdict “Corrupt, partisan, vicious."
“I won’t stand by while the leader of our party is ambushed by our own government,” Scalise said, sharing a fundraiser link.
Similarly, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott called the hush money trial “a sham" on X.
Trump's motorcade departs the courthouse after guilty verdict
From CNN's Kristina Sgueglia
Donald Trump's motorcade is leaving the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse after he was found guilty on all 34 felony counts in his hush money criminal trial.
A large but relatively quiet crowd has gathered in the park outside the courthouse, where there has been a steady presence of demonstrators, media and police throughout the trial.
Several dozen people have also gathered at Trump Tower, according to a CNN team on the ground, which reports that most of the people there are curious tourists from overseas.
