WASHINGTON–The Biden campaign released a statement on May 30 after a Manhattan jury convicted former President Donald Trump on all 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.
“In New York today, we saw that no one is above the law,” Biden-Harris 2024 communications director Michael Tyler said in the statement.
However, the Biden team admitted that the conviction would have minimal impact on the upcoming presidential race.
“Donald Trump has always mistakenly believed he would never face consequences for breaking the law for his own personal gain. But today’s verdict does not change the fact that the American people face a simple reality. There is still only one way to keep Donald Trump out of the Oval Office: at the ballot box. Convicted felon or not, Trump will be the Republican nominee for president,” Mr. Tyler said.
Following more than 11 hours of deliberation, a panel of 12 jurors reached a unanimous verdict in the case at Manhattan Criminal Court, convicting the presumptive Republican presidential nominee on 34 first-degree counts of falsifying business records. These charges were related to a payment made to adult film entertainer Stormy Daniels during the 2016 election.
The White House also broke its silence on May 30 and commented on the verdict with a brief statement.
“We respect the rule of law and have no additional comment,” White House Counsel’s Office spokesperson Ian Sams said in a statement.
To capitalize on the opportunity and boost fund-raising, the Biden campaign sent a text message to supporters requesting donations.
“If you have been waiting for the perfect time to make your first donation to Joe Biden’s reelection campaign, we’re here to tell you today is the day,” the campaign wrote in the message.
The Biden team also warned that Donald Trump’s supporters are so energized that they will likely set fundraising records for his campaign.
“So while the MAGA Right comes to the aid of Trump, Joe Biden—and those who care about democracy—need you,” the message said.
On May 28, the Biden campaign held a news conference outside the courtroom while closing arguments were taking place. Actor Robert De Niro and two former Jan. 6 police officers joined the press conference.
Mr. De Niro and the two former Capitol police officers, Michael Fanone and Harry Dunn, did not discuss the trial in their speeches, however.
The previous week, a Biden campaign ad featured the actor, known for films such as “The Godfather Part 2,” “Taxi Driver,” and “Goodfellas,” criticizing President Trump and his reelection platform.
The press conference outside the courtroom marked a key moment for the Biden campaign as it waded into a trial it had avoided for the past six weeks.
President Trump maintains that the Biden administration was responsible for his indictment in New York, even though it’s a state-level case.
Trump advisers held a separate press conference in which they suggested that the presence of the Biden campaign outside the courthouse validated the political narrative of the prosecution.
Mr. Tyler said they were just there to speak to the media about “the entirety of what voters are going to be taking to the ballot box” ahead of the first presidential debate in June.
Mr. Tyler reiterated these comments in the statement issued after the verdict.
“The threat Trump poses to our democracy has never been greater. He is running an increasingly unhinged campaign of revenge and retribution, pledging to be a dictator ‘on day one’ and calling for our Constitution to be ‘terminated’ so he can regain and keep power,” he said.
“A second Trump term means chaos, ripping away Americans’ freedoms and fomenting political violence—and the American people will reject it this November.”
