Former President Donald Trump started his first full day as a convicted felon vowing to appeal the verdict.
The presumptive 2024 Republican presidential nominee held a news conference at Trump Tower Friday morning and decried the trial and conviction as a political plot.
“If they can do this to me, they can do this to anyone,” Trump said, according to USA Today.
“We’re going to be appealing this scam. The judge was a tyrant,” he said.
Trump cited many complaints about his trial, including Judge Juan Merchan and the gag order imposed on Trump.
“No one’s ever seen anything like it,” Trump said. “It was very unfair.”
Trump announced his campaign has raised $39 million since the verdict was read.
“So far, I guess it’s backfired,” Trump said.
He continued to profess his innocence and denied hush money payments were made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels to influence the 2016 presidential election.
“Everybody says there is no crime here,” Trump said ignoring the 12 jurors who found otherwise.
He also attacked Merchan and the witnesses who were not able to testify on his behalf.
“You saw what happened to some of the witnesses that were on our side,” Trump said. “They were literally crucified by this man, who looks like an angel but he’s really a devil.”
In the end, he predicted this would all benefit him as voters will realize the trial was “rigged.”
“The people understand it,” he said.
Experts are now theorizing how the conviction will impact the election since Trump is the first convicted ex-president.
“With an election that’s a dead heat in every possible way, there is absolutely no way of knowing right now,” said pollster Frank Luntz. “And anyone who tells you otherwise is full of it.”
Trump did not take any questions from the press.
