Former US President and current presidential candidate Donald Trump’s campaign raised $53m within 24 hours following his recent conviction, averaging $2m per hour, the campaign announced.
“In the 24 hours since Crooked Joe Biden and his New York henchmen got their sham trial verdict, the Trump Campaign has raised $52.8m through the online digital fundraising platform,” a release from Trump’s presidential campaign stated.
Over one-third of these contributions came from new donors, highlighting a growing opposition to the jury’s decision, according to the release.
On Thursday, a New York jury found Trump guilty on all 34 criminal counts of falsifying business records to cover up a hush money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. Trump condemned the verdict, calling it a disgrace and part of a sham trial orchestrated by the Biden administration through a “weaponized judicial system” and a “partisan judge” aimed at interfering with the 2024 presidential election. Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential candidate, said, “We’re going to be appealing in many different things. He wouldn’t allow us to have witnesses, he wouldn’t allow us to talk, he wouldn’t allow us to do anything,” referring to Judge Juan Merchan. “The judge was a tyrant.”
Trump’s campaign and various legal scholars emphasized that the verdict does not impede his eligibility to run for President of the United States. Trump confirmed plans to appeal the decision.
Addressing the matter from the White House, President Joe Biden labelled Trump’s criticism of the judicial system as “reckless” and “dangerous.” Biden remarked, “The jury reached a unanimous verdict that found him guilty on all 34 felony counts. Now he’ll be given the opportunity, as he should, to appeal that decision, just like everyone else has that opportunity. That’s how the American system of justice works, and it’s reckless, it’s dangerous, it’s irresponsible for anyone to say it was rigged just because they don’t like the verdict.”
According to a recent NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll, most people believe the outcome of Trump’s hush-money trial will not impact their vote in the 2024 presidential election. The full survey results are set to be released Thursday morning. Overall, 67% said a guilty verdict would make no difference to their vote; 76% said the same of a not guilty verdict.
However, roughly 1 in 6 voters (17%) indicated a guilty verdict would make them less likely to vote for Trump. This sentiment was shared by a quarter of nonwhites, 1 in 5 voters earning less than $50,000 annually, and those under 45. Surveys have shown Trump gaining traction with younger and non-white voters, although this support remains tentative.
