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Donald Trump on Thursday became the first former president in U.S. history to be convicted of a crime, a record he set by being found guilty on all 34 felony counts against him.
As with in any jury trial, a 12-member jury of Trump’s peers in New York found him guilty of falsifying business records in 2016 to hide hush money payments to porn actress Stormy Daniels.
Almost immediately, leading Alabama politicians released a barrage of statements discounting the verdict and the trial.
Gov. Kay Ivey repeated Trump’s statement immediately after the verdict: “The real verdict will be on Election Day November 5.”
The results of the Presidential election will actually have no effect on the verdict, which can only be overcome by an appeal.
U.S. Senators Katie Britt and Tommy Tuberville, and the Republican members of Alabama’s Congressional delegation, all criticized the trial. All had previously endorsed Trump for the Republican nomination.
“Today is a sad and shameful day. Democrats just set the dangerous, destructive precedent of the party in power weaponizing prosecutorial powers against their political adversary,” Britt said. “This is a hallmark of a banana republic, not a constitutional republic.”
Tuberville called the trial a “political witch hunt from the start,” complained about gag orders issued against Trump, and called the jury “lopsided.”
Both the defense and prosecution were able to participate in the jury selection process and Juror No. 2 notably responded that they get all of their news from X and Trump’s Truth Social. Another juror said they don’t keep up with news at all.
The gag orders issued against Trump were in response to Trump’s continual statements on Truth Social that Judge Juan Merchan found improper including the possibility that they could intimidate witnesses.
Attorney General Steve Marshall said the prosecution’s target “was a person, not a crime” and argued that the outcome was determined “before a single piece of evidence was gathered.”
Marshall and Tuberville helped to serve as Trump’s mouthpieces outside the courtroom during the trial after Merchan’s gag order.
While the politicians all complained that the trial was politically motivated, none offered any rebuttal to the findings of the jury based on the evidence presented by the prosecution.
Alabama Democratic Party Vice Chair Tabitha Isner said Trump had the advantage of wealth to afford the best lawyers and a fair jury, but couldn’t overcome the evidence.
“Donald Trump is a convicted felon,” Isner said. “He cheated on his wife, lied about it, and committed fraud to cover it up in order to hide the truth from voters. Now that the truth is clear for all to see, the Republican Party should stand on its historic principles and declare Trump unqualified for their nomination.”
ALGOP Chairman John Wahl said the state party is not backing down from its endorsement of Trump.
“The conviction of a former president, especially one who is a current candidate for the presidency, sets a troubling precedent,” Wahl said.
The judge set July 11 for Trump’s sentencing, just four days before the Republican National Convention where the party is expected to declare Trump its nominee. Trump plans to appeal the trial, which could delay his sentencing date.
Trump can be sentenced to probation up to four years in prison, and up to 20 years altogether. The 10 gag orders issued against Trump through the course of the trial can be considered during the sentencing.
