As it happened: Trump found guilty on all hush money charges

History happened just as everyone was about to leave for the day.

Judge Juan M. Merchan had already summoned Donald Trump, his legal team and prosecutors into the courtroom where the former president has been on trial since mid-April. The judge said he planned to send the jury home in a few minutes — at 4:30 p.m. — with deliberations to resume the next morning.

Trump looked upbeat, having animated chats with his lawyers. A bell that rang in the courtroom whenever the jury had something to tell the court had been silent all day.

In the end, it wasn’t the bell that signaled something was up, but the jingling of a court officer’s keys — a ring full of them clanking as Maj. Michael McKee hustled past the judge’s bench and out a door into a private corridor.

Then, unexpectedly, the judge was back on the bench. There was another note from the jury. Signed at 4:20 p.m., it said they had reached a verdict. Jurors wanted an extra 30 minutes to fill out the verdict form.

▶ Read more about the moment Trump’s guilty verdict was read.

Former Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance offered his congratulations Thursday to his successor, Alvin Bragg, on “conducting a nearly flawless trial in a very difficult situation.”

“I think it’s an important case that really helps define what the rule of law is supposed to mean,” he told The Associated Press.

The DA’s office investigated Trump while Vance had the top job, but did not bring any charges before the Democrat retired at the end of 2021 and Bragg took over.

Responding to claims from a former prosecutor that some in his office had called it a “zombie” case, Vance said he didn’t think he had ever referred to it that way, but said he wouldn’t go into the conversations he had with his staff about the case.

Vance said he doesn’t think it’s likely Trump will be sentenced to prison time in the Manhattan case, both because “the crimes don’t require it” and because it would be more trouble than it’s worth given Trump is the presumptive Republican nominee for president.

“The idea of having him in custody is really hard to imagine, I think, given his role in the political theater of the country for the next six months,” Vance said.

Trump’s defense lawyer Todd Blanche said in an interview with Fox News that he expects to appeal the trial judge’s decision not to recuse himself.

Asked on Thursday night if he thought Trump got a fair trial, Blanche responded: “No, I don’t think so.”

Trump and his lawyers repeatedly argued Judge Merchan should not have presided over the case, suggesting he had shown signs of bias.

Blanche noted that he had filed two separate motions asking Judge Merchan to recuse himself from the trial.

Calling the situation “not fair,” he extolled Trump as “a husband, a father, a grandfather and a friend to a lot of people. When you see that happen to him, and I was standing right next to him today, it’s heartbreaking.”

Trump campaign advisers argued the case would help them motivate their core supporters. So many donations came into WinRed, the platform the campaign uses for fundraising, that it crashed. Aides quickly worked to set up a backup platform to collect money pouring in.

His two most senior campaign advisers, Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita, were not with him in New York, but in Palm Beach, Florida, where the campaign is headquartered.

And while it may take days or weeks to know for sure, Trump’s critics in both parties generally agreed that there may not be much political fallout, although some were hopeful that the convictions would have at least a marginal impact in what will likely be a close election.

▶ Read more about the political impact of Trump’s conviction.

The hush money case, though criticized by some legal experts who called it the weakest of the four prosecutions against Trump, takes on added importance not only because it proceeded to trial first but also because it could be the only one of Trump’s cases to reach a jury before the election.

The other three — local and federal cases in Atlanta and Washington that he conspired to undo the 2020 election, as well as a federal indictment in Florida charging him with illegally hoarding top-secret records — are bogged down by delays or appeals.

▶ Read more about all the investigations Trump faces.

Texas voter Steven Guarner, a 24-year-old nurse, said he’s undecided on who he’ll vote for in the upcoming election.

Guarner, an independent, said the verdict will be a deciding factor once he studies the details of the trial for him. He didn’t think it would sway the many voters who are already decided on the Biden-Trump rematch, however.

And Michael Perez Ruiz, a 47-year-old who was ordering food shortly after the verdict at Miami’s Versailles restaurant, an icon of the city’s GOP-leaning Cuban American community, said he would continue to stand by Trump.

“I would vote for him 20 times,” Perez Ruiz said.

▶ Read more about the political impact of Trump’s conviction.

He left to attend a fundraiser at a private residence in New York City, according to a person familiar with his plans who was not authorized to speak publicly.

The fundraiser had been planned before the verdict was announced.

“I am a Political Prisoner,” reads the subject line of their latest email.

After Trump is sentenced, he can challenge his conviction in an appellate division of the state’s trial court and possibly, the state’s highest court. Trump’s lawyers have already been laying the groundwork for appeals with objections to the charges and rulings at trial.

The defense has accused the judge of bias, citing his daughter’s work heading a firm whose clients have included President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and other Democrats. The judge refused the defense’s request to remove himself from the case, saying he was certain of his “ability to be fair and impartial.”

Trump’s lawyers may also raise on appeal the judge’s ruling limiting the testimony of a potential defense expert witness. The defense wanted to call Bradley Smith, a Republican law professor who served on the Federal Election Commission, to rebut the prosecution’s contention that the hush money payments amounted to campaign-finance violations.

But the defense ended up not having him testify after the judge ruled he could give general background on the FEC but couldn’t interpret how federal campaign finance laws apply to the facts of Trump’s case or opine on whether Trump’s alleged actions violate those laws. There are often guardrails around expert testimony on legal matters, on the basis that it’s up to a judge — not an expert hired by one side or the other — to instruct jurors on applicable laws.

The defense may also argue that jurors were improperly allowed to hear sometimes graphic testimony from porn actor Stormy Daniels about her alleged sexual encounter with him in 2006. The defense unsuccessfully pushed for a mistrial over the tawdry details prosecutors elicited from Daniels. Defense lawyer Todd Blanche argued Daniels’ description of a power imbalance with the older, taller Trump, was a “dog whistle for rape,” irrelevant to the charges at hand, and “the kind of testimony that makes it impossible to come back from.”

While acknowledging the historic nature of the case, Bragg noted that the DA’s office “arrived at this trial, and ultimately today at this verdict, in the same manner as every other case that comes through the courtroom doors — by following the facts and the law and doing so without fear or favor.”

“The 12 everyday jurors vowed to make a decision based on the evidence and the law, and the evidence and the law alone,” he said. “The only voice that matters is the voice of the jury and the jury has spoken.”

The conference is scheduled for 11 a.m. ET.

In the end, it wasn’t the courtroom bell that signaled something was up, but the jingling of court officer Major Michael McKee’s keys — a ring full of them clanking as he hustled through the courtroom, past the judge’s bench and out a door into an adjacent private corridor. Down the hall, jurors had been deliberating in a nearby room moments before. By the time he arrived to meet the jurors, as the jury conveyed in a note read in court by the judge a short time later, they had reached a verdict.

The big question now is whether Trump could go to prison. The answer is uncertain. Judge Merchan set sentencing for July 11, just days before Republicans are set to formally nominate him for president.

The charge of falsifying business records is a Class E felony in New York, the lowest tier of felony charges in the state. It is punishable by up to four years in prison, though the punishment would ultimately be up to the judge and there’s no guarantee he would give Trump time bars.

It’s unclear to what extent the judge may factor in the political and logistical complexities of jailing a former president who is running to reclaim the White House. Other punishments could include a fine or probation. And it’s possible the judge would allow Trump to avoid serving any punishment until after he exhausts his appeals.

The conviction doesn’t also bar Trump from continuing his campaign. Trump’s daughter-in-law Lara Trump, who serves as co-chair of the Republican National Committee, said in a Fox News Channel interview on Thursday that if Trump is convicted and sentenced to home confinement, he would do virtual rallies and campaign events.

“We’ll have to play the hand that we’re dealt,” she said, according to an interview transcript.

“This was a sham show trial,” Texas Gov. Greg Abbott posted on X, formerly Twitter. “The Kangaroo Court will never stand on appeal.”

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan of Ohio called the verdict a “travesty of justice,” saying the justice system had been “weaponized by partisan prosecutors in front of a biased judge.”

House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik trashed what she called a “rigged verdict” from her fellow New Yorkers on the jury.

South Carolina Republican Chairman and former RNC co-chair Drew McKissick called the jury’s decision “what we traditionally see in so-called Banana Republics.” Trump earlier this spring effectively pushed McKissick out of their leadership roles at the national party earlier this year in favor of his own team.

About an hour after the verdict was read, the scene at the park across from the courthouse was mellow, with just a few dozen people celebrating.

One person held a sign reading “lock him up.” Another tried to start a call and response, but there wasn’t anyone around.

Outside the nearby federal courthouse, a small number of Trump supporters gathered. Bronx resident Carmen Alvarez, 64, was among them. “I think he’s innocent of everything,” said Alvarez, 64, in Spanish.

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A demonstrator reacts to the guilty verdict announced against former President Donald Trump outside Manhattan Criminal Court, Thursday, May 30, 2024, in New York. Donald Trump became the first former president to be convicted of felony crimes as a New York jury found him guilty of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in a scheme to illegally influence the 2016 election through hush money payments to a porn actor who said the two had sex. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)

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People wait outside Manhattan Criminal Court for Donald Trump’s motorcade to pass after the guilty verdict announced against the former President, Thursday, May 30, 2024, in New York. Donald Trump became the first former president to be convicted of felony crimes as a New York jury found him guilty of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in a scheme to illegally influence the 2016 election through hush money payments to a porn actor who said the two had sex. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)

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A supporter of Donald Trump reacts to the guilty verdict announced against the former President outside Manhattan Criminal Court, Thursday, May 30, 2024, in New York. Donald Trump became the first former president to be convicted of felony crimes as a New York jury found him guilty of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in a scheme to illegally influence the 2016 election through hush money payments to a porn actor who said the two had sex. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)

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People react to the guilty verdict announced against former President Donald Trump outside Manhattan Criminal Court, Thursday, May 30, 2024, in New York. Donald Trump became the first former president to be convicted of felony crimes as a New York jury found him guilty of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in a scheme to illegally influence the 2016 election through hush money payments to a porn actor who said the two had sex. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)

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Trump will face an awkward dynamic as he returns to the campaign trail with his new felony conviction. There are no campaign rallies on the calendar for now, though he’s expected to hold fundraisers next week.

Judge Juan Merchan set sentencing for July 11, just days before the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, where Republican leaders who remained resolute in their support in the immediate aftermath of the verdict are expected to formally make him their nominee.

For another candidate in another time, a criminal conviction might doom a presidential run, but Trump’s political career has endured two impeachments, allegations of sexual abuse, investigations into everything from potential ties to Russia to plotting to overturn an election, and personally salacious storylines including the emergence of a recording in which he boasted about grabbing women’s genitals.

▶ Read more about the impact of this historic moment.

Shares of Trump Media & Technology Group, the owner of social networking site Truth Social, slumped after Trump’s guilty verdict was announced.

The shares, which trade under the symbol “DJT,” fell about 8% in after-hours trading Thursday as news of the verdict emerged. They have been extraordinarily volatile since the company’s debut in late March, frequently making double-digit percentage moves either higher or lower on a single day.

The shares peaked at nearly $80 in intraday trading on March 26. They closed regular trading Thursday at $51.84 before the verdict was announced.

In a statement sent by text, Cohen 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.” He thanked his attorneys “for their invaluable guidance and support.”

Trump’s motorcade rolled past the small crowd in front of the neighboring Manhattan federal courthouse, where his supporters had gathered to cheer him on in recent days.

It is now headed back uptown.

Helicopters continue to circle overhead.

It was very quiet in the courtroom and an overflow room right before the verdict was read.

Due to the anonymous jury, monitors in the overflow room were off while the verdict was read, so members of the media and members of the public who were there to observe could not see Trump’s face as the first “guilty” was read aloud.

A court officer had warned the overflow crowd not to make any outbursts, but a hushed gasp could be heard in the room. The video feed resumed after the last charge was read aloud, showing Trump sitting with an expressionless stare as history was made.

President Joe Biden’s campaign sought to keep the focus on the November election even at it said Thursday that former President Trump’s criminal conviction showed that “that no one is above the law.”

Communications director Michael Tyler said in a statement: “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.”

Biden himself has yet to weigh in on the verdict. He is spending the night at his family’s beach house in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, after marking the anniversary of his son Beau’s death earlier Thursday at church in Wilmington.

Biden’s campaign has tried for months to remind Americans of what it sees as the peril of another Trump term in office, rather than the personal jeopardy faced by the former president in court.“

A second Trump term means chaos, ripping away Americans’ freedoms and fomenting political violence – and the American people will reject it this November,” Tyler said.

A group of around 100 Trump supporters who have gathered daily near the courthouse to watch his motorcade pass murmured in disbelief as news of the verdict appeared on their phones. A few shouted in anger.

At a park across the street where small groups of people have been gathering daily to protest, Trump’s opponents let out cheers.

The cheering from the street could be heard all the way up on the 15th floor of the courthouse, in the hallway, as the decision was being read.

Trump will remain released on his own recognizance, Judge Merchan said.

He called the verdict a “disgrace” and said the trial was rigged. He said he’s “an innocent man.”

“We’ll keep fighting,” Trump said. “We’ll fight to the end and we’ll win.”

Defense lawyer Todd Blanche told Judge Merchan: “We move for a judgment of acquittal.”

“There’s no basis and no way this jury could have reached a verdict without accepting the testimony of Michael Cohen,” Blanche said.

Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass said: “We, of course, disagree with Mr. Blanche’s characterization of Michael Cohen’s testimony.”

Merchan denied the motion.

“You were engaged in a very stressful and difficult task,” the judge tells jurors, thanking them for their “dedication and hard work.”

Merchan said he will meet privately with jurors shortly. “You’re excused with the gratitude of the court.”

Trump was sitting stone faced with his eyes looking down as the verdict finished being read.

Trump began slowly looking around the room and glanced at the jury, still expressionless, as they affirmed they found him guilty on all counts.

Most, if not all of them look straight ahead as they walk past Trump and prosecutors.

The six alternate jurors have also been brought into the courtroom and seated in the first row of the gallery behind the prosecution table.

Dozens of reporters, sketch artists, members of the public; staff from the prosecutors’ office crammed into the back row; court staff lining the wall next to the judge’s bench; just two empty seats, occupied by a Van Gogh sunflower seat cushion and a newspaper that someone had not returned to claim.

The “hurry up and wait” beat of deliberations has given way to anticipatory tension — and some surprise. The jury transmitted the news that it reached a verdict by note to Judge Juan M. Merchan at 4:20 p.m., just a few minutes after he’d announced to the courtroom — minus the jury — that court would adjourn at 4:30 p.m. barring a verdict. Merchan said his plan was to allow jurors to keep working until that time and then send them home to start fresh on Friday.

Moments later, that plan went out the window and the verdict will be read in court soon.

“We the jury have a verdict. We would like an extra 30 minutes to fill out forms,” read the note.

New York state law doesn’t allow it in criminal cases, or at least that’s been the court’s position for decades now.

The counterintuitive restriction stems from a 1987 decision in People vs. Owens, said Sarah Krissoff, a white-collar defense lawyer and former federal prosecutor in New York.

In that drug-related case, an appeals court ruled the jury should not have received part of the jury instructions in writing because defense lawyers had objected.

While the ruling itself was narrow, New York judges have interpreted it broadly out of fear it could lead to a conviction being overturned.

There is some recent precedent for jurors getting a copy if both sides in a case consent and the judge agrees, but, as a practical matter, judges have generally erred on the side of caution, Krissoff said.

It’s a different story in the federal courts, where jurors are generally sent into deliberations with copies of the court’s instructions as well as the verdict sheet, she added.

With a paper copy unavailable, Trump’s jury paused its deliberations to request that specific portions of the instructions be reread aloud to them in court.

“The issue is that it takes longer for a jury to deliberate and discourages them from asking for these readbacks because the process takes so long,” Krissoff said.

“It’s very hard to fit the facts in the law if you don’t have the law in front of you,” she continued. “Law is complicated, and if you don’t have the charge in front of you, it’s very daunting.”

Jurors will continue deliberating until 4:30 p.m. and then, if they haven’t reached a verdict, will be sent home for the day and resume their work on Friday.

“I want to campaign,” he told reporters in the hallway before walking in.

Once inside, he again surveyed the crowd as he walked to his seat at the defense table.

As deliberations wear on, it’s a bit of the old adage “hurry up and wait” at the courthouse.

With the jury working in secret in a separate room, and Trump and his team holed up elsewhere in the building, reporters remain in the courtroom waiting for word — or rather the sound — of a new development.

Each time the jury has a question — and eventually if it reaches a verdict — it must send a note to the judge. They signal this by ringing a bell that blares in the courtroom. The sound is akin to that of an old telephone or alarm clock.

So far Thursday, the bell hasn’t rung at all after tolling twice within an hour on Wednesday.

That’s made for a somewhat surreal scene in the normally bustling Manhattan courtroom. The front of the room where the action happens is empty, save for a few court officers and staff. No judge, no prosecutors, no defense team, no former president and certainly no jurors.

The room that reverberated with dramatic testimony and tense arguments over the last six weeks is now eerily quiet, save for the clicks of laptop keys and the din of chatter among reporters and members of the public sitting, watching and waiting for the bell to ring.

Jury deliberation means tense, ultimately boring hours of waiting for lawyers, journalists and others at the Manhattan courtroom where Trump’s hush money trial is being held.

It’s the same for television networks covering the case — except they have hours of time to fill for viewers. Rather than switch to something else, they have largely stuck close to the courthouse.

The New York accents of court reporters reading testimony. A juror’s facial expression. And tea leaves — plenty of tea leaves.

▶ Read more about the endless vampcycle