Furious Donald Trump Calls Trial Judge Juan Merchan "Crooked" & "a Devil,"

Donald Trump, facing a wall of journalists and camera crews inside Trump Tower following a guilty verdict against him asserted his readiness to battle both legally and politically.

A New York jury had found him guilty on 34 counts related to falsifying documents to conceal hush money payments to a porn star.

In his speech, Trump angrily listed his adversaries and grievances, describing Justice Juan Merchan, who presided over his trial, as “crooked” and “a devil,” and labeling his election rival, Democrat Joe Biden, as “the worst president in the history of our country.”

He also criticized witnesses who testified against him, members of Congress who voted to impeach him, and echoed his rally rhetoric about illegal immigration.

Trump urged his supporters to donate to his campaign, framing his challenges as part of a larger battle for America.

Unlike his usual campaign speeches, which often include humor, this address was notably serious. Holding only a small page of notes, Trump concluded the press conference without taking questions and quickly left the lectern with his son, Eric Trump, by his side.

Away from the cameras, his allies also criticized the justice system and anyone suggesting Trump had committed a crime, using fundraising appeals and social media to voice their discontent.

In the competitive race where both leading candidates portray each other as threats to the nation, the Biden campaign capitalized on Trump’s remarks.

Michael Tyler, Biden’s communications director, stated, “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.”

Trump’s supporters, viewing the New York verdict as a miscarriage of justice, contributed $34.8 million to his campaign on Thursday alone, setting a one-day fundraising record on WinRed, the digital platform for Republicans.

The campaign, trailing Biden in overall fundraising, continued its efforts on Friday, sending urgent fundraising texts to supporters with typically capitalised messages such as “THE DARKEST DAY IN AMERICAN HISTORY!” and “I WILL NEVER SURRENDER!” following Trump’s press conference.

Republican officials and organizations largely supported Trump, arguing that the trial was flawed, the charges unjustified, the jury pool biased in heavily Democratic Manhattan, and the judge prejudiced—allegations denied by local authorities.

When Republican responses were not swift or strong enough, Trump’s allies and campaign aides attacked. Chris LaCivita, Trump’s co-campaign manager, criticised a national college Republican group on social media platform X for suggesting the jury’s verdict should be respected, posting, “Opinions are like assholes…everyone has one…,” and also targeted Larry Hogan, a moderate former Republican governor of Maryland running for Senate, who had warned against escalating toxic partisanship before the verdict, telling Hogan, “You just ended your campaign.”

Interviews with Republican voters in battleground states like Pennsylvania and Georgia revealed mixed reactions to Trump’s conviction.

Some voters said the conviction made them reconsider their support for him in November, a potential issue for Trump given his narrow lead in multiple swing states.

However, many Republicans echoed Trump’s sentiment, calling the trial politically motivated. Scott Clayton, a 62-year-old retired police officer in Marietta, Georgia, said, “It’s all political, just to hurt him and keep him off the campaign trail as much as possible. If they can do this to him, they can do it to anyone. Absolutely nobody is safe.”