President Joe Biden’s campaign hailed a New York jury’s guilty verdict against former President Trump in his hush money trial as proof that “no one is above the law.”
“Donald Trump has always mistakenly believed he would never face consequences for breaking the law for his own personal gain,” Biden campaign communications director Michael Tyler told reporters Thursday. “But today’s verdict underscores a simple reality for the American people.”
“Convicted felon or not, Trump will be the Republican nominee for president,” Tyler said. “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, stripping away Americans’ freedoms, and fomenting political violence – and the American people will reject it this November.”
Biden also personally solicited campaign funds on social media, emphasizing that there is “only one way to keep” Trump out of the White House.
There’s only one way to keep Donald Trump out of the Oval Office: At the ballot box.
Donate to our campaign today: https://t.co/aJXS9oti0a
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) May 30, 2024
White House and Biden campaign staff had been cautious with their public remarks about Trump’s multiple trials. His New York hush money case was the first to be judged and is likely the only one to be concluded before November’s election. This case is considered the weakest among those he faces, including two from special counsel Jack Smith regarding his handling of classified documents and election interference, and a Georgia case on election subversion.
Earlier this week, Biden campaign aides made the unusual decision to hold a press conference outside the Manhattan Criminal Court at 100 Centre St with actor Robert De Niro and Jan. 6 Capitol Police officers Harry Dunn and Michael Fanone.
“I don’t mean to scare you – no, no, wait, maybe I do mean to scare you – if Trump returns to the White House, you can kiss these freedoms goodbye that we all take for granted,” De Niro told reporters on Tuesday. “Elections? Forget about it.”
“If he gets in, I can tell you right now, he will never leave,” he said. “This is not a threat. This is a reality. And that’s why I’ve joined the Biden-Harris campaign because the only way to preserve our freedoms and hold on to our humanity is to vote for Joe Biden for President.”
Trump was charged last April by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg with 34 counts of falsifying business records. It was alleged he falsified the records to cover up payments made to former porn star Stormy Daniels through his personal lawyer Michael Cohen in exchange for her silence about a sexual encounter they had in 2006 before the 2016 election.
Trump’s attorneys have indicated they would appeal any verdict, arguing that he could not have received a fair trial in liberal New York City.
