Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is weighing in on the news that a jury found a former United States president guilty for the first time in history.
On Thursday, former President Donald Trump was found guilty on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in an attempt to cover up a hush money payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election.
Hours after the verdict was read, McConnell — who has had a contentious relationship with Trump — posted on X, “These charges never should have been brought in the first place. I expect the conviction to be overturned on appeal.”
Conservatives have criticized the case and alleged it was an example of selective prosecution against Trump.
Additionally, they have took issue with the legal theory of the case which bumped the charges up from misdemeanors to felonies on the basis that business records were falsified in furtherance of another crime. And while the prosecution did not precisely make clear what the other crime was, it argued the falsification was done in furtherance of a campaign finance violation in closing arguments.
After the verdict, Trump delivered brief remarks from the courthouse.
“This is a rigged disgraceful trial. The real verdict is going to be November 5th by the people,” he told reporters.
Trump went on:
“We didn’t do a thing wrong. I’m a very innocent man. 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 a political opponent.”
Finally, he added, “And we’ll keep fighting. We’ll fight to the end and we’ll win. Because our country has gone to hell. We don’t have the same country anymore.”
