'He's really a devil': Trump attacks Judge Juan Merchan in 1st press conference after his hush money trial guilty verdict
MANHATTAN, NEW YORK: Former President Donald Trump, now a felon in the hush money trial, spoke for the first time after his guilty verdict during a press conference at Trump Tower on Friday, May 31.
The verdict marks the first instance in American history where a former President and a presumptive GOP nominee has been convicted of a felony.
A jury of twelve New Yorkers found him guilty on thirty-four counts of falsifying business records to suppress negative stories before the 2016 elections by paying former adult actress Stormy Daniels $130,000.
Donald Trump slams 'bad people' responsible for his conviction
Shortly after the verdict was announced on Thursday, May 30, Trump dared the "real verdict is going to be November 5 by the people," outside the court.
Like before during the trial, Trump on Friday again lashed out at Judge Juan Merchan, who presided over his hush money trial, telling reporters that the judge was "highly conflicted" in the case.
"If they can do this to me, they can do this to anyone," Trump said, adding, "I'm under a gag order, nasty gag order, where I've had to pay thousands of dollars in penalties and was threatened with jail," he claimed as CNN reported.
Donald Trump calls hush money trial 'very unfair' and slams Judge Juan Merchan for being 'devil'
Addressing the hush money trial, Trump said in the press conference it was "very unfair."
"As far as the trial itself, it was very unfair. We weren't allowed to use our election expert under any circumstances," Trump said.
"You saw what happened to some of the witnesses that were on our side, they were literally crucified by this man," he said referring to Judge Merchan.
"He looks like an angel, but he's really a devil," Trump said of the judge.
Donald Trump claims he never heard of 'falsifying business records'
Trump said the crimes he was convicted of "sounds so bad" yet insisted he knew nothing about them.
"Falsifying business records — that sounds so bad, to me it sounds very bad," Trump said according to CNN. "That's a bad thing for me, I've never had that before," he added.
However, Trump contested the portrayal of his actions as criminal, asserting that his payment to lawyer Michael Cohen was a legitimate legal expense and had been recorded as such.
A bookkeeper "correctly marked it down in the books," the former president said as per the publication, claiming that was done "without any knowledge from me." He added, "What else are you going to call it?"
