In his first comments since Donald Trump was found guilty of 34 felony charges in his hush money criminal trial, President Joe Biden condemned attacks by the former president and his Republican allies on the verdict and New York’s criminal justice system.
“The American principle that no one is above the law was reaffirmed,” Biden said from the White House’s State Dining Room ahead of remarks about the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. “Donald Trump was given every opportunity to defend himself. It was a state case, not a federal case, and it was heard by a jury of 12 citizens, 12 Americans, 12 people like you.”
Trump was found guilty on Thursday of 34 felony charges of falsifying business records in his New York City criminal hush money trial. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 11, just four days before he is set to be officially coronated as the Republican presidential nominee at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
In a lengthy speech earlier Friday full of false statements, attacks on the judge and the New York criminal justice system, Trump vowed to appeal the verdict.
Biden hailed the jury for doing their duty and extolled the virtues of the American justice system, adding that Trump is entitled to his right to appeal the ruling.
“Like millions of Americans who’ve served on juries, this jury was chosen the same way every jury in America is chosen,” the president continued. "There’s a process that Donald Trump’s attorney was part of.
“The jury heard five weeks of evidence, and after careful deliberation, the jury reached a unanimous verdict: They found Donald Trump guilty of all 34 felony counts,” Biden said. “Now he’ll be given the opportunity, as he should, to appeal that decision just like everyone else has that opportunity. That’s how the American system of justice works.”
The president went on to call attacks on the New York criminal justice system “reckless,” “dangerous” and “irresponsible for anyone to say this was ‘rigged’ just because they don’t like the verdict.”
“Our justice system has endured for nearly 250 years, and it literally is the cornerstone of America, our justice system. The justice system should be respected and we shouldn’t allow anyone to tear it down. It’s as simple as that. That’s America, that’s who we are, and that’s who we’ll always be, God willing.”
Biden’s remarks came not just after a guilty verdict against his presumptive opponent in November, but also ahead of the trial of his son, Hunter Biden, on federal firearms charges.
Biden’s campaign, like Trump’s, has fundraised off of the ruling, making the case that the “only” way to prevent the Republican’s return to the White House is “at the ballot box.”
In his remarks Friday, Trump baselessly charged that Biden was behind the prosecution against him. (There is no evidence of Biden’s involvement in the case.)
“This is all done by Biden and his people,” Trump falsely claimed. “This is done by Washington. No one has ever seen anything like this.”
Trump’s allies have repeatedly made similar claims of election interference and a politically motivated prosecution, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., who charged in a statement following the ruling that “the weaponization of our justice system has been a hallmark of the Biden Administration.”
Biden's campaign called the speech "unhinged" in a statement.
"America just witnessed a confused, desperate, and defeated Donald Trump ramble about his own personal grievances and lie about the American justice system, leaving anyone watching with one obvious conclusion: This man cannot be president of the United States," said Michael Tyler, the Biden campaign's communications director. "Unhinged by his 2020 election loss and spiraling from his criminal convictions, Trump is consumed by his own thirst for revenge and retribution. He thinks this election is about him. But it’s not. It’s about the American people: lowering their costs, protecting their freedoms, defending their democracy.”
“That’s what Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are fighting for," Tyler continued. "Donald Trump is sowing chaos, attacking the rule of law, and fighting for the only thing in the world he gives a damn about: Donald Trump.”