Members of President Donald Trump’s family, including several of his children, have spoken out in support of the presumptive GOP nominee after he was found guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records in his criminal hush money trial. The historic case marks the first time in American history that a former president has been convicted of a crime.
Shortly after the verdict was read in a Manhattan courtroom on Thursday, the business magnate’s 42-year-old daughter, Ivanka Trump, took to Instagram to share a photo of herself as a child sitting on her father’s lap, writing: “I love you dad.”
The businessman’s sons, Eric and Donald Jr., also issued statements online. The former, 40, wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that May 30 “might be remembered as the day Donald J. Trump won the 2024 Presidential Election.” The latter, 46, fired off a series of scathing posts on the platform, claiming in one message that the case “was rigged from the start.”
“Guilty on all counts. The Democrats have succeeded in their years long attempt to turn America into a third-world [expletive]. November 5 is our last chance to save it,” Mr. Donald Trump Jr. wrote in a separate post. “Sentencing is 4 days before the GOP Convention...They’re not even trying to hide the ELECTION INTERFERENCE!!!!” he later posited.
Mr. Eric Trump’s wife, Lara, shared a post to her Instagram account on Friday, which indicated that President Trump’s campaign had raised nearly $35 million in the six hours following the announcement of the guilty verdict. “THANK YOU, AMERICA!!!” the 41-year-old captioned alongside the image.
Speaking to the Press
President Trump’s two eldest sons and daughter-in-law also shared their thoughts on the trial during a news conference held outside the courthouse on Tuesday during a break in closing arguments.Speaking to the press, Mr. Donald Trump Jr. criticized Michael Cohen, a key witness in President Trump’s trial, and called the entire legal battle a “political persecution” and a “witch hunt.”
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Mr. Eric Trump touched upon the “degradation” of New York City, including the Big Apple’s spate of violent crimes. “This is legal lawfare, all while this state absolutely melts,” he said. “This [trial] has cost New York millions and millions and millions of dollars, and New York deserves so much better than this. And I cannot wait for the day that we win. We will; we’re right. The entire country knows that this is nonsense.”
“I’m just proud of the toughest person I’ve ever met in my entire life for having the backbone and fortitude to go through this whole mess as uncomfortable as it’s been,” he continued. “And I’m proud to have stood there every single second by his side in that freezing cold courtroom against unthinkable odds and a corrupt judge and people making a lot of money and this political witch hunt. He’s an inspiration to me every single day and he’ll be vindicated.”
Celebrities React to Guilty Verdict
After the guilty verdict was revealed, a mixture of reactions from celebrities and other notable figures circulated online—some of which welcomed the conviction.“Convicted felon Donald Trump is blaming the judge, the jury and New York for being found guilty on 34 counts,” singer Barbra Streisand wrote on X. “He will never accept accountability for his crimes. Americans must not allow this felon anywhere near the White House again.”
“Star Wars” actor Mark Hamill shared an image on the platform depicting the word “guilty” written repeatedly, while comedian Kathy Griffin wrote: “Thank you @StormyDaniels.” Ms. Daniels, formally known as Stephanie Clifford, was at the center of President Trump’s hush money case, which revolved around allegations that the adult film performer was paid off before the 2016 election to ensure that she kept quiet about an alleged affair with the politician.
However, many celebrities, including country music star Jason Aldean, came to President Trump’s defense. The “Try That in a Small Town” singer shared an image of an inverted American flag to his Instagram account on Thursday alongside the caption: “Scary times in our country right now, man. When a former POTUS gets treated like this by our justice system, what does that mean for the rest of us??? If there was ever a time to speak up, ITS NOW! Make no mistake…. We are in trouble.”
Billionaire and X owner Elon Musk wrote on the social media app: “Great damage was done today to the public’s faith in the American legal system. If a former President can be criminally convicted over such a trivial matter – motivated by politics, rather than justice – then anyone is at risk of a similar fate.”
“This won’t stop Trump. He’ll win the election if he’s not killed first,” political commentator Tucker Carlson shared on X. “But it does mark the end of the fairest justice system in the world. Anyone who defends this verdict is a danger to you and your family.”
